The Deal and Non-Deal From 2018 That Influenced the 2022 World Series

As it turns out, there are reasons behind decisions like these, as Ryan Pressly soon became a Houston Astro. Shortly after the game, news broke that the well-tattooed righty would re-locate to his home state, signaling the first shoe to drop in an eventful trade deadline for the Twins, one that reverberates into the 2022 World Series.

Pressly’s path following the deal is well-known by Twins fans; Houston sprinkled their magic pitching dust over him, eliminating the blow-up outings that plagued his early career while transforming him into one of the more consistent relievers in baseball. Two All-Star games called his name and, without a transition period, Pressly became the final boss in an always-talented Astro bullpen, closing important games with ease as his fastball knocked batters to the ground and his curveball brought them to their knees. So it goes. The Twins are still counting on Gilberto Celestino and Jorge Alcala—the return package in the deal—to embrace their potential.

Since 2019, only the Dodgers, Rays, and Guardians have a lower bullpen ERA than Houston’s 3.66 mark; Liam Hendriks is the sole reliever to provide more fWAR than Pressly over that span. 

The 2018 Twins also shied away from trading away another important player: Kyle Gibson remained on the team following a significant courting process from multiple interested franchises. The Twins front office has never feared holding on to a player if the deal isn’t right—there’s a reason why José De León stayed with the Dodgers during the Great Brian Dozier trade talks of 2016—so Gibson’s staticity wasn’t entirely shocking. That choice seems significant now.

Gibson’s path to his current team, the Phillies, is less straightforward; the former first round pick pitched his way out of Minnesota after a brutal sickness-cursed 2019 season before signing a pact with the Texas Rangers. Amid a surprise All-Star campaign in 2021, Texas sent Gibson to Philadelphia in a hearty trade for three players, including top prospect Spencer Howard. 

The Phillies, so blessed with excellent starting pitching, now utilize Gibson as a tertiary arm, only calling his name once this postseason for a four-out appearance against the Padres in Game 2 of the NLCS. He’s far from a game-changing presence, but Gibson gobbled up nearly 170 innings in the regular season, and one can easily imagine that his veteran status has positively influenced the Phillies clubhouse.

What if the Twins trade him at the deadline? Perhaps he nestles in with his new squad long-term, eliminating his future with the Phillies. Maybe the team whiffs on a separate starter, thinning their ranks enough to hold them back from playoff contention in 2022.

Although, maybe that doesn’t happen, and baseball continues to be weird and often illogical. 

These two strings connect to a broad baseball web spun by influential deals and non-deals. The Astros will always be a powerhouse, but precisely how strong would they be without an ace, veteran reliever like Pressly? The Phillies walked a tightrope to make it this far; was Gibson enough of a force to push them into contention? We can only apply conjecture to these questions, but, unquestionably, the Twins' 2018 trade deadline subtlety influenced the upcoming World Series matchup.