Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) walks to the mound during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. / Troy

The conversation around the Houston Astros trading one of their highest-paid players continues to heat up

Former MLB executive Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently mentioned Astros closer Ryan Pressly is now one of the 10 most likely veterans to during the offseason.

“It’s only a matter of time before Houston moves Ryan Pressly to a team where he can once again be a closer. He lost his closing gig last offseason when the Astros signed Josh Hader to a long-term contract. He filled whatever role Houston wanted this past season, posting a 3.49 ERA over 59 appearances,” said Bowden. “But next year he will make $14 million, money that they could put toward Alex Bregman’s new contract. With a strong market for both closers and relievers, it may take time for the Astros to find the best trade for Pressly, who will turn 36 in December.”

Houston turned the veteran righty into a closer back in 2021 and he thrived in the new role. That’s why it was so shocking to see them hand out a  and push Pressly out of role he had been solid in before.

The Dallas native has been with the Astros since the 2018 trade deadline and has held a few roles in the bullpen since.

He had his breakout campaign in 2019 when he made his first career All-Star game at the age of 30. He posted a 2.32 ERA and 0.902 WHIP over 54.1 innings pitched.

Pressly was named the closer for the 2020 campaign and was solid. It was a shortened season, so he only pitched 21 innings. He had a 3.43 ERA with 12 saves and four blown saves.

Things really came together in 2021 when he was one of the league’s top relievers. He pitched a 2.25 ERA and 0.969 WHIP en route to his second career All-Star nod. His 2022 was similarly dominant.

After he started to decline in the 2023 season, though, the writing could have been on the wall that Houston would begin looking to improve. He still wasn’t all that bad, but it certainly wasn’t the elite play they signed up for with his big contract.

In his new role, for the first couple months of the season. He settled back into being a setup guy eventually, but it’s clear that his strength is in closing games out.

A new team would allow him to do that again and free up some money for the Astros to use elsewhere.