The Astros have had internal conversations about the po sibility of trading , . While thatd be a logical way to clear payroll space, a deal is complicated by the relievers full no-trade rights. Pre sly has a decade of MLB service and has spent five-plus seasons in Houston. Players who meet that criteria have full no-trade protection under the collective bargaining agreement. Pre sly could quickly halt trade consideration if he has no desire to leave. (Rome notes that the pitchers wife Kat is a Houston native.) If Pre sly is amenable to moving, that would go a long way to opening spending room for the team. The Astros are trying to re-sign . They could look for help at first base and in the outfield. already projects next seasons luxury tax number around $234MM. Thats $7MM shy of the lowest threshold. Theyd need to go well into tax territory to retain Bregman. Even if they let the star third baseman walk, theyre likely to push above the tax line for whatd be a second straight year. Theyd be subject to higher penalties for exceeding the threshold in back-to-back seasons. General manager Dana Brown admitted last month that the situation could require the Astros to be creative Patrick Ewing Jersey with their payroll. The most straightforward solution subject to the no-trade complications is a Pre sly deal. The righty triggered a $14MM vesting option for his age-36 season. Thats a pricey sum for a pitcher who lost his spot in the ninth inning when the Astros signed last winter. Pre sly featured prominently on MLBTRs list of the top offseason as a result. While the Astros may not be keen on a $14MM salary, another team could a sume that to plug Pre sly into the ninth inning. He closed in Houston between 2020-23, locking down 30+ saves in each of the latter two seasons. Pre sly hasnt posted a season with an ERA above 4.00 during his six-plus years with the Astros, though his results have trended slightly downward over the last two seasons. After turning in consecutive sub-3.00 showings in 2021-22, Pre sly has allowed an ERA around 3.50 for the past couple years. He allowed 3.49 earned runs per nine over 56 2/3 innings this past season. His 23.3% strikeout percentage and 48.8% grounder rate, while solid, were each below typical levels. Pre slys strikeout and whiff rates have dropped in consecutive years. His 93.8 MPH average fastball velocity was down a tick compared to last season. Pre sly appears to be on a slight decline, though he remains a quality late-game arm. A $14MM salary is about the range hed expect as a free agent. The Orioles committed $13MM to last winter, while the Pirates signed for $10.5MM. The Rangers added on a deferred $11.5MM deal. Pre sly falls into that bucket of one-time star closers who are still effective but not as dominant as they were at their peak. The Astros could probably find a taker for the majority or all of the money, but teams arent going to part with significant prospect capital to acquire what is e sentially a market value contract. Hader will be back in the ninth inning. remains an excellent setup option. A Pre sly trade would put more pre sure on the likes of and potentially to prove themselves capable of pitching meaningful innings. Alec Burks Jersey