After recording a career-high 32 saves in 2025, right-hander Emilio Pagán has expressed interest in rejoining the Reds. “I’d love to be back and run it back with them and take another run at it,” Pagán told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The pending free agent has spent the past two seasons in Cincinnati’s bullpen.
Pagán stepped in as manager Terry Francona’s preferred 9th inning option after Alexis Díaz went down with a hamstring injury in the spring. He entered the year with 33 career saves across eight MLB seasons. Pagán nearly doubled that mark as the Reds’ stopper, going 32-for-38 in save opportunities. He notched a 2.88 ERA across a career-high 70 appearances. Pagán was tied with Aroldis Chapman and Jhoan Duran for fifth in the league in saves.
A solid campaign with Minnesota in 2023 earned Pagán a two-year, $16M deal with Cincinnati ahead of the 2024 season. Injuries limited him to 38 innings in his first year with the team. He spent time on the IL with triceps tightness and a lat strain. The latter issue cost him more than two months. Pagán struggled when healthy, pitching to a 4.50 ERA with a bloated 1.34 WHIP. He was set to open the 2025 season on the periphery of Cincinnati’s late-inning mix, but Díaz’s injury opened the door for another reliever to step forward. Despite having former closers Taylor Rogers and Scott Barlow on the roster, it was Pagán and Tony Santillan who emerged as the top candidates for the role. Both pitchers earned a save within the team’s first 10 games, but Santillan wouldn’t get his second save until early June. By then, Pagán had run away with the job.
The closer role wasn’t completely foreign to Pagán, but it had been a while since he had spent the majority of a season in the position. He served as Tampa Bay’s primary closer in 2019 after Diego Castillo and Jose Alvarado faltered. Pagán earned 20 saves that year. He was dealt to San Diego in the offseason, and then to Minnesota a couple of years later. Pagán opened the 2022 season as the Twins’ closer, but lost the job to Duran after an extended stretch of poor performance.
Pagán will be one of many intriguing names on the closer market this offseason. Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, and Raisel Iglesias are free agents. Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez could opt out of their current deals and hit the open market. Kenley Jansen, Luke Weaver, Kirby Yates, Ryan Pressly, and Kyle Finnegan have extensive late-inning experience. Pagán’s best choice might be to stick with the club where he just posted a career season. It sounds like the interest is mutual, too. Team president Nick Krall told Wittenmyer that Pagán would be “tremendous to have back.” Krall added that the veteran “fits in the culture of our bullpen.”
The Reds should certainly have the financial flexibility to add in free agency. FanGraphs’ RosterResource tool has them below $100MM for next year’s payroll, though the team does have an ample group of arbitration-eligible players. The club had a payroll of around $120MM this past season. Cincinnati is stuck paying $13MM to Jeimer Candelario next year, but he’s currently the only player on the books for more than seven figures in 2026, assuming they decline the $12MM mutual option on Austin Hays. If the Reds don’t make any additions to the bullpen, they’re likely looking at patching together the closer gig with Santillan and converted starter Graham Ashcraft.
They have it but will they use it? They haven’t in recent years.
That’s how he got here?
Shame on you confronting “this one” with facts that doesn’t fit his narrative.
@tobttr, I remember you not being high on pagan, curious what your thoughts are on him now and a reds reunion ?? 🤔
Honestly, he came in with a so so track record and a high home run rate outside of one good year so I wondered if he was worth the money for a setup guy.
He definitely pulled their butt out of the fire this year when Diaz went off the rails and earned the paycheck. He’ll probably get a good deal elsewhere. I would really be surprised if they bring him back.
Going forward though, they have a lot of close options. Probably Santillan next year. It is getting to him though that there is a lot of hope young guys can do the job.
santillan is a lateral move and suitable while pagan is coming off a career year
I wouldn’t have a problem bringing him back but knowing how they operate, I would be surprised if they spent what was necessary to do it.
Why, are you gonna whine and go on and on about the whole “small vs. big market” thing like you always do,
This one belongs to the Reds?
(He muted me, so that’s how big he wants to look)
Because this one always whines/complains. It’s as sure as the sun rising in the east.
He may not be the most consistently excellent reliever out there but my O’s need some bullpen arms (along with so many other things that its laughable) and Pagan seems a decent target to take a look at. His right handed batter vs left handed batter splits aren’t too crazily different. Maybe a bit more homer prone than you would like to see but has quality strikeout stuff. He’s certainly an upgrade over Cano undoubtedly.
I hope we don’t touch Pagán. I doubt we will. He’s the kind of guy coming off a great year that will sign with a poorly ran club like the Angels.
I want Devin Williams as the top option. I like Helsley too. A reunion with Seranthony I’d be ok with. Need a good lefty too.
Williams and Helsey are coming off some lackluster seasons for sure so you might be able to grab them for a more palatable price. I wouldn’t be enthusiastic about a Dominguez reunion but I would find it acceptable like you. Pagan seems to have one good year followed by 1 or more not so good years, so you may be right. There is definitely plenty of options out there, you just hope that Elias has woken up after last off season and realizes you cant just patchwork a team while hoping that your injured/injury prone players get healthy and stay healthy.
Williams had maybe the most inconsistent season I’ve ever seen. But he still finished out the season with a 0.36 FIP in his final 19 games. Even the playoffs were good for him.
Yeah and he’s coming off a career high in appearances too. In a walk year where he produced the second highest ERA+ of his career at age 34. We know how this will likely turn out.
Yes, I agree the Angels deserve all the bashing they get, but could you at least pick another loser organization once in awhile? Angel fans in my opinion are the happiest when they are in the ballpark because it’s a place where we can escape all the crap we have to deal with in life just like everybody else. Once the fans get together and hit Artie Moreno really hard in the wallet will we finally get an owner or at least force Artie to spend and invest like a big market club will we finally see some success in the standings and hopefully squeak into the Wild Card. Many Angel fans have become too complacent and we get way to excited about intentional distracting ballpark promotions. We allowed the most complete player in baseball to exit without getting anything in return. Angel fans must organize to hit Moreno where it hurts.
Kenley Jansen has “extensive late inning experience” as the 6th closer mentioned. Ya think?
Sure-any FA wants the most recent team he is on to be perceived as interested to up the bidding.
3.7 bWAR in the last 3 seasons is elite for a reliever.
If 3.7 bWAR in 3 years is elite.. What do you consider Munoz, Suarez, Chapman, Diaz and Duran who all have more than that in just 2 years. Just wondering??
Listing 5 relievers with hof trajectory numbers does little to disprove another pitchers value.
He had solid year and when he had signed most analysts/experts said he’s not a good fit…who knew that the geniuses were off…I don’t hate the idea of him coming back but I doubt the Reds will spend extra to resign…hard pass and need to prioritize on a bat or 2 this offseason most importantly
With you 100% Johnny U. I like that Pagan stepped up and had a surprisingly good year but let’s use any surplus we have to get that middle of the order bat we need first.
I am also interested in returning to Cincinnati. Nice town with a great ballpark
Just a short time ago free agents couldn’t wait to get out of town so it’s good to hear some want to stay. A promise of playing on a competitive team is a good draw and shows things are looking up in Cincy.
My fear is Pagan won’t repeat his 2025 year
If DJ & Tito wants Pagan back and Pagan wants to return, Krall will get it done. Pretty good year for Reds pitching and they need to build on that. Pagan, Junis, and a LH set-up guy would get it done.
There shouldn’t be a comma before “too.”