Emilio Pagan Free Agency: Reds swoop in to capture veteran reliever on two-year deal, pending physical

The Cincinnati Reds are starting their offseason activities by signing reliever Emilio Pagan. The veteran relief pitcher is not considered one of the biggest free agents this year, but he is going to be a key contributor and the Reds are signing him for two years, pending a physical.

Mark Feinsand reported on X, formerly known as Twitter:

"The Reds have agreed to a two-year deal with RHP Emilio Pagán, per source. The deal is still pending physical."

Emilio Pagan was most recently a member of the Minnesota Twins, the team he'd been with for the last two seasons. He was excellent in 2023, posting a sub-3.00 ERA and earning five wins out of the bullpen.

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Emilio Pagan headed to Cincinatti on two-year contract

For his career, Emilio Pagan is 22-18 with a 3.71 ERA, so he's been a solid reliever. He has spent time with the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, Twins and San Diego Padres.

Emilio Pagan is joining the Reds

He's a veteran reliever who can contribute, and the Cincinnati Reds wanted to ensure they landed that. They were a surprising contender last year, coming pretty close to making the playoffs. Until the final week, they were in the hunt.

Aside from a few players, there are a lot of young pieces in Cincinnati, so veteran presence in the clubhouse and in the bullpen is extremely valuable. Pitchers like Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott will likely benefit from being around Pagan.

This is far from the only move Cincinnati is going to make, but it is one of the first. They are rumored to be in on both Shane Bieber and Tyler Glasnow in trades, so they're looking to build up their roster this offseason. Whether or not it will be enough to make it to the postseason remains to be seen, but they're not resting on their laurels.