The Astros have acquired right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly from the Twins, the team announced Friday. The Twins are slated to receive right-handed pitching prospect Jorge Alcala and outfield prospect Gilberto Celestino in the deal.
Pressly, 29, is in his sixth campaign with the Twins this year. The righty currently holds a 3.40 ERA, 3.6 BB/9 and staggering 13.0 SO/9 through 47 2/3 innings and is scheduled to remain under team control through 2019. The Astros will undeniably benefit from his strong performance and relative affordability, though they have yet to define the righty’s role within the bullpen. It’s worth noting, however, that Pressly has not recorded a single save this year and may not be a viable option in late-inning situations.
According to MLB Pipeline, Alcala and Celestino ranked 10th and 15th, respectively, in the Astros’ system during the midseason prospect rankings. The 22-year-old Alcala was promoted from High-A Bules Creek to Double-A Corpus Christi in 2018 and pitched to a cumulative 3.29 ERA, 4.0 BB/9 and 9.3 SO/9 in 79 1/3 innings across both levels. Celestino also made the jump to Double-A this season and batted a solid .317/.383/.476 with four home runs and 14 stolen bases in 141 PA.