NL Central

The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros agreed to a trade Tuesday that sent reliever Ryan Pressly to the Windy City.

The Astros announced they acquired minor league pitcher Juan Bello in exchange for Pressly and cash considerations.

pic.twitter.com/NkiQuMd1qd

— Houston Astros (@astros) January 28, 2025

One possible motivation for the Astros could be moving on from Pressly and offloading his salary to facilitate a deal to bring back third baseman Alex Bregman.

The Ryan Pressly trade now opens the door wide open for Alex Bregman return to the Houston Astros. The Astros needed to move Pressly before Bregman acquisition could become realistic

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 26, 2025

Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters this weekend that the the door was "cracked" open for a potential reunion, though he called it a "long shot."

"The interesting thing is when we made some trades and some moves this offseason, we never realized that Bregman would still be on the market at this time," he added. "I think we've had some conversations, and I can leave it there. As I mentioned, the interesting thing is that he's still available. It's not as if we're not talking about it. We've had some conversations."

According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, the Astros already offered Bregman a six-year, $156 million deal this winter and reportedly "wouldn't say 'no'" if he chose to accept that deal. Moving on from a portion of Pressly's salary could perhaps further facilitate talks.

The Astros did prepare contingencies for a potential Bregman departure, signing first baseman Christian Walker and trading for Isaac Edgardo Paredes as part of the deal that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. But retaining Bregman would still be a best-case scenario.

As for Pressly, 36-year-old was 2-3 in the 2024 season with a 3.49 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, four saves and 58 strikeouts in 56.2 innings in a setup role. The long-time closer gave up ninth-inning duties to Josh Hader, however, making him somewhat expendable in the back-end of Houston's bullpen.

For the Cubs, he would likely be the frontrunner to handle the closer's role.

Offers from the Pittsburgh Pirates and star LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne weren't enough to keep a one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes rookie card from hitting the market.

Topps announced Friday that the 11-year-old from Los Angeles who pulled Skenes' 1-of-1 rookie debut patch autograph card declined the Pirates' offer in favor of an auction.

𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: The collector has decided to forego the Pirates offer, and is sending the card to auction. https://t.co/HUTVWVNXHz

— Topps (@Topps) January 24, 2025

The card will be available in Fanatics' March Premier auction. Fanatics' proceeds will be sent to Los Angeles wildfire relief funds, according to the brand.

The Pirates have been in public pursuit of the collectible ever since Topps unveiled the card, which features a patch of the jersey Skenes wore during his May 11 debut, in November.

Topps announced on Jan. 21 that the card had pulled by a young collector, who reportedly said in a journal entry shared by the brand that finding the collectible was "a dream come true."

The 11-year-old collector who pulled the Paul Skenes 1/1 Debut Patch card just shared his journal entries…

It’s an absolute MUST-READ 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/PldkJMS06W

— Topps (@Topps) January 24, 2025

The team and Skenes' girlfriend combined to offer the collector a package including 30 years of season tickets, two autographed jerseys and a spot in Dunne's suite for a Pirates game in exchange for the card.

An 11-year-old collector just pulled the Paul Skenes 1/1 Debut Patch card!

Our offer still stands... you know where to find us 🤝😏 https://t.co/jhY20ODzWa pic.twitter.com/kpdT6u99Sc

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) January 21, 2025

That apparently wasn't enough to sway the collector given that Topps has reportedly estimated the card's worth at six figures (h/t Sports Collectors Digest.)

That value could be even higher now that the card has received a perfect grade of 10 by the Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA.)

The perfect grade by PSA could bring the card's value as high as $1 million, according to The Athletic's Larry Holder.

The Paul Skenes Rookie Debut Patch, which Topps says was pulled by an 11-year-old L.A. collector, has been graded a perfect dual-10 by @PSAcard. pic.twitter.com/vDPQ8LQM4i

— Will Stern (@Will__Stern) January 23, 2025

Whoever ultimately purchases the card will own a piece of memorabilia from one of the best rookie seasons in the history of MLB's starting pitchers.

Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 draft, made his MLB debut in 2024. He went 11-3 across 23 starts while putting up a 1.96 ERA and 0.947 WHIP over 133.0 innings. No rookie with at least 20 starts had recorded an ERA that low in over a century, according to ESPN's Jorge Castillo.

Those stats earned Skenes not only the NL Rookie of the Year award but also made him a finalist for the Cy Young.

Now those numbers could also help the 11-year-old collector cash in when the Fanatics Collect March Premier Auction takes place from March 6 to March 20.

Paul Skenes' 1-of-1 autographed MLB debut patch card received a perfect grade of 10 by Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA).

The Paul Skenes Rookie Debut Patch, which Topps says was pulled by an 11-year-old L.A. collector, has been graded a perfect dual-10 by @PSAcard. pic.twitter.com/vDPQ8LQM4i

— Will Stern (@Will__Stern) January 23, 2025

The card, which features an autograph as well as a patch worn by the Pittsburgh Pirates ace during his MLB debut, was pulled by an 11-year-old collector from Los Angeles. Topps made the announcement on Tuesday.

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: The Paul Skenes 1/1 Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card has been pulled by an 11-year-old collector from Los Angeles, CA. pic.twitter.com/tYZe5KuqM2

— Topps (@Topps) January 21, 2025

Attributes for a card to received a grade of 10 include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss (via PSA). A perfect card must be free of staining of any kind and the image must also be centered on the card.

When the card featuring Skenes was first revealed, the Pirates declared their intent to secure it. They offered several incentives for whoever pulled the card including including two Pirates season tickets behind home plate for 30 years, a meet-and-greet with Skenes and two autographed jerseys from the pitcher.

The 22-year-old is coming off an impressive rookie season, as he was named National League Rookie of the Year to go along with an All-Star nod. In 23 starts, Skenes compiled an 11-3 record to go along with a 1.96 ERA and 0.947 WHIP.

He also struck out 170 batters while allowing just 32 walks in 133 innings of work.

The value of the card is already high, as Topps estimated that it could ultimately be worth six figures (h/t Sports Collectors Digest). Considering Skenes' strong rookie season, it's easy to see the card fetching a hefty price at auction.

With a perfect PSA grading, the card's value is continuing to increase.

A Houston Astros pitcher is reportedly drawing trade interest this offseason.

Per the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the Chicago Cubs "and many other teams" have inquired about reliever Ryan Pressly. The veteran has a no-trade clause, however, meaning any team that wants to deal for him would first need his approval.

While a handful of teams reportedly asked about Pressly, the Cubs appear to be making the most headway. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Thursday that Chicago is "on the verge of acquiring" Pressly from Houston.

Any deal for Pressly requires him to waive his no-trade clause, but The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported that he hasn't done so yet. Rome also noted that "no deal is imminent."

Astros relief star Ryan Pressly, pursued seriously by 3 teams, has full no-trade and told the Astros he’s disinclined to go East or West. So that’s a “no” for Jays, 1 of the teams. He hasn’t committed either way yet on Cubs, who’re trying @BNightengale 1st on Cubs interest

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 24, 2025

The Cubs could be a team Pressly is willing to waive his no-trade clause for if they make Houston an offer it agrees with. Chicago is looking to add a reliever to look to in the late innings, which could give Pessly a chance to return to a closer role.

Pressly was a closer for the Astros from 2020 to 2023 and excelled in that role, posting 71 saves and keeping his ERA at 3.58 or lower. Last season, Pressly posted a 3.49 ERA in 59 appearances in a setup role for Houston.

As the Astros try to find a trade for one of their veterans, they're looking to bring back another veteran in free agency.

According to Rome, Houston re-engaged in talks with free agent third basemen Alex Bregman on Thursday. Bregman reportedly declined a six-year offer worth around $156 million from the Astros earlier this offseason and is seeking a deal worth around $200 million.

Bregman, who slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI in 2024, has been a cornerstone for Houston over the past decade but has garnered interest from a handful of teams, namely the Detroit Tigers. If Houston is interested in re-signing Bregman, it will likely need to act fast.

Pitcher Paul Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, has plenty on his plate, but his future and a potential extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates are not among his current concerns.

"I haven't given it too much thought," Skenes said Sunday, per Will Graves of the Associated Press.

The 22-year-old LSU product is under club control for five more seasons.

The team's lack of offseason spending has frustrated fans, who fear they are living on borrowed time with the standout pitcher entering his second season without knowing how long he'll be with the club.

Billboard campaigns have sprung up, urging Pirates chairman Bob Nutting to sell the team, while chants of "Sell the team!" erupted at the team's annual fanfest. In response, team CEO Travis Williams stated that Nutting has no interest in selling, per ESPN.

Skenes doesn't seem eager to move on either, highlighting the team's young core and recent coaching staff changes as signs of progress following back-to-back 76-86 seasons, per the Gaines.

"The group that we have from last year is going to be better I think than we were last year," Skenes said, per Gaines. "We're going to have more experience. I don't think you can overstate the impact that coaches can have on it, too, so we made some good additions there. It's not a complicated thing. It's hard to do, but it's not complicated."

The young phenom is not fixated on the future, with the upcoming season as his main focus. The Pirates are also moving away from the inning limits that were imposed on Skenes last season to protect his arm.

"I'm going to be ready to throw 240 innings," said Skenes, who went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts. "It's not going to be 160 innings again. I know that. It's gonna be much more, 'Take the ball and pitch.'"

Pittsburgh Pirates CEO Travis Williams said Saturday that owner Bob Nutting won't be selling the organization during the team's offseason fan fest, despite some "Sell the team!" chants from fans at the event.

"To answer your immediate question or what you said earlier, Bob's not going to sell the team," Williams said, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "He cares about Pittsburgh, cares about winning, cares about us putting a winning product on the field and we're working towards that every day."

Nutting wasn't in attendance during the Q&A where the chants were heard, another point of frustration for Pirates' fans.

But the main issue in Pittsburgh is that the team hasn't had a winning season since 2015, which was also its last postseason appearance. And the Pirates haven't won a playoff series since 2013, which is the only series the franchise has won since winning the World Series back in 1979.

Since Willie Stargell led the Pirates to glory last year, the team has made just six playoff appearances in 44 seasons, a startling streak of futility. Nutting has been at the helm since 2007, with just three winning seasons and three playoff appearances in 17 years.

"I've been in sports a long time, different sports, different organizations," Williams told fans. "One thing I've learned long ago is that passion for your team turns into frustration whenever you're not winning. It's just a reality. It happens whenever it's in Pittsburgh. It happens in other cities. We see that all the time. We know that there is frustration, frustration because we're not winning with expectations of winning. But at the end of the day, that's not due to a lack of commitment to want to win."

Pirates' fans may seriously question that last statement. In 2024, the team had the second-lowest payroll in the sport at $84 million. Only the Oakland Athletics spent less, a paltry $62.1 million. The highest the Pirates have ranked in payroll dating back to 2011 was in 2016, when they ranked 21st out of 30 teams with a payroll of $99.5 million. Four teams had a payroll of over $200 million that season.

The Pirates have been bottom-five in payroll in 11 out of the last 14 seasons. They are projected to continue the trend in 2025, with a payroll currently sitting at $64.2 million.

On the weekend of the annual Cubs Convention that serves to get fans excited for the upcoming season, Tom Ricketts did a good job of pouring cold water on any positive vibes that might have been building up.

Appearing on 670 The Score on Saturday, Ricketts pushed back about criticism of the team's perceived lack of spending by saying the Cubs don't have the "dollars" like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets when asked about pressure from fans to spend more on payroll.

"They think somehow we have all these dollars that the Dodgers have or the Mets have or the Yankees have and we just keep it," Ricketts said. "Which isn't true at all. What happens is we try to break even every year, and that's about it."

In a separate conversation with The Athletic's Patrick Mooney, Ricketts did state the Cubs would have some payroll flexibility during the season if they wanted to make an addition before the trade deadline.

"We always have the ability to add payroll if we need to at the deadline," Ricketts said. "And if there's a piece we need to keep winning, there's always that option."

Per Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Cubs' 2025 payroll is projected to be $214.4 million. That would rank ninth based on current estimates, but there are still several notable free agents available who will change things.

Mooney did note Ricketts anticipates the payroll will end up around the $241 million luxury-tax threshold, depending on how the rest of free agency goes, what happens at the trade deadline and if they compete for a playoff spot.

The Cubs haven't had a top-five payroll since 2020, per Cot's. They ranked outside the top 10 in each of the previous three seasons.

Ricketts has been one of the MLB owners at the forefront suggesting they never have enough money. He infamously told ESPN's Jesse Rogers the league would suffer losses on a "biblical" scale during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the same discussion with Rogers, Ricketts said MLB "does not make a lot of cash." MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters during the World Series that league revenues were going to be higher in 2024 than 2023 when it made $11.6 billion.

While it's certainly true there is a huge gap in terms of revenue and operating income between the top and bottom teams in the league, the Cubs should behave much closer to the clubs that Ricketts cited.

Using Forbes' franchise valuations, the Cubs are the fourth-most valuable team in MLB at $4.22 billion. Their revenue of $506 million during the 2023 season ranked behind only the Yankees ($679 million) and Dodgers ($549 million).

The Mets are an outlier in any equation because Steve Cohen is the second-richest owner in American pro sports, trailing only Steve Ballmer of the Los Angeles Clippers, and he's shown a willingness to use his immense wealth to sign players like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto.

Even when the Cubs made their big offseason move to acquire Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros, they offset his addition by moving Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees in what was essentially a salary-dump deal.

Bellinger didn't replicate his great 2023 performance last season, but he was hardly a bad player with a 111 OPS+ in 130 games. The only Cubs players who had a better OPS+ with at least 500 plate appearances were Seiya Suzuki (138), Ian Happ (120) and Michael Busch (118).

No one is saying the Cubs need to be spending close to $300 million every year like the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets are doing in 2025, but this idea they can't seems foolish for one of the marquee franchises in the sport.

The Cubs haven't made the playoffs since 2020 and haven't won a playoff series since 2017.

The Chicago Cubs will be debuting a new look for the 2025 season.

The Cubs unveiled "Blues Alternate" uniforms in a video posted to X on Thursday.

Chicago born.
Cubs worn.⁰⁰The new Blues Alternate debuts this season. pic.twitter.com/SZ8OAqLA9O

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) January 17, 2025

The jerseys pay homage to Chicago's road uniforms from the late 1970s and are set to replace the team's City Connect uniforms in 2025. The Cubs will be wearing powder blue jerseys for the first time since the 1981 season.

The jerseys feature a new logo that combines details from "blues-era Cubs uniforms with inspiration from music instrument brands," per the team.

The sleeve patch also includes custom lettering on a guitar pick, while the socks feature a six-string guitar stripe.

It’s all in the details. pic.twitter.com/tudIrrzwXK

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) January 17, 2025

Chicago will be looking to end a four-year postseason drought in 2025 after finishing each of the past two seasons with 83-79 records. The Cubs have already made one of the major splashes of the offseason so far, acquiring three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a Dec. 13 trade with the Houston Astros.

As Chicago attempts to find its way back into the postseason picture, the team will also be wearing new alternate uniforms.

The Chicago Cubs and outfielder Kyle Tucker reportedly agreed to terms on a contract for 2025 after all and avoided an arbitration hearing

ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported Thursday the two sides agreed to a $16.5 million contract for the upcoming season. Since there will not be a hearing, it also frees Tucker up to be included in the Cubs' fan convention during the coming weekend.

That the number settled in at $16.5 million isn't shocking considering the developments from earlier this month.

Rogers reported on Jan. 9 that the two sides did not come to an agreement after the Cubs filed at $15 million and Tucker's representatives filed at $17.5 million. It seemed to set the stage for an eventual arbitration hearing before he even played a game for the National League Central team.

It also seemed less than encouraging for the Cubs' long-term prospects of signing Tucker to a contract extension down the line if they were haggling over a $2.5 million difference shortly after trading for him.

However, Thursday's news means there won't be a potentially contentious hearing and both sides can now turn their attention to the 2025 campaign.

After all, Tucker has been Chicago's major addition this offseason. The team traded infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third base prospect Cam Smith to the Houston Astros for the 27-year-old in a move that immediately bolstered its chances in a National League Central that appears to be wide open.

Even if Tucker is only with the Cubs for this one season before he hits free agency, he raises their ceiling to a potential playoff team.

The three-time All-Star has a World Series title, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger on his resume with the ability to anchor a team's lineup. While he was limited to just 78 games last season, he still launched 23 home runs after hitting 29 and leading the league with 112 RBI in 2023.

Tucker hit 30 homers in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022 and will make Chicago's lineup far more dangerous in 2025.

And now he and the team know what he will be making as he does so.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced Thursday that legendary announcer Bob Uecker died at the age of 90.

We are heartbroken to announce that Brewers icon & Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Uecker passed away today at the age of 90 pic.twitter.com/EJRBC8Cjj4

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) January 16, 2025

"Ueck was the light of the Brewers, the soundrack of our summers, the laughter in our hearts, and his passing is a profound loss," the team said in a statement. "He was the heart and soul of Wisconsin and a dear friend. Bob loved people; his presence warmed every room and he had a way of welcoming all of us into his world as if we were lifelong friends."

Our statement on the passing of Bob Uecker: pic.twitter.com/OGbzM8QL11

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) January 16, 2025

Uecker was the Brewers' radio play-by-play man since 1971. The Baseball Hall of Fame honored him with the Ford C. Frick Award in 2003 to celebrate his contributions from the broadcast booth.

Uecker also spent six seasons as a catcher in MLB, winning a World Series in 1964 with the St. Louis Cardinals.

"Bob became incredibly popular, incredibly recognizable, but his favorite environment was always the clubhouse," Hall of Famer Paul Molitor said, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. "He never changed. With everything that came his way, he never forgot his roots."

McCalvy also included some of the self-deprecating comments Uecker made about his nondescript playing career.

"You know, I was once named Minor League Player of the Year," he once said. "Unfortunately, I had been in the majors for two years at the time."

Uecker also quipped that his lifetime .200 batting average "tied me with another sports great averaging 200 or better in a 10-year period," before citing legendary professional bowler Don Carter.

Uecker's reach extended far beyond Milwaukee. His quick wit and sense of humor were regularly showcased on Johnny Carson's late-night television show, and he portrayed play-by-play announcer Harry Doyle in the Major League film franchise. A number of his lines from Major League entered the popular baseball vernacular.

Uecker even managed to carve a special place in wrestling history for himself. He was part of the broadcast for WrestleMania IV and the clip of him being "choked" by André the Giant circulated for years afterward in WrestleMania retrospectives.

"When you spend a lot of time with Ueck, you really wish that you wrote everything down," former Brewers manager Craig Counsell said, per McCalvy. "That's what I always wish. I wish I wrote it all down."