Very few free agents have signed yet in this MLB offseason, but one of the early signings was a loss for the Cincinnati Reds.
Right-handed relief pitcher Emilio Pagan signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers for one year and $11.5 million.
Pagan had been with the Reds, but he moved quickly to land a new deal and will move from the NL Central to the AL Central.
New insight emerged on Thursday, in an article by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, that helps explain the quick move by Pagan from the Reds to the Tigers.
Why Reds Didn’t Keep Emilio Pagan
At the end of the day, Pagan’s price came in too high for Cincinnati.
Relief pitchers can be fickle, and a small-market team like the Reds couldn’t take that big a hit to their payroll right off the bat in free agency for an uncertain value like an aging reliever.
This is what Rosenthal and Sammon wrote about the move:
The Cincinnati Reds did not make a serious push to retain free-agent closer Emilio Pagán, who declined a one-year, $10 million player option to reach a one-year, $11.5 million agreement with the Detroit Tigers, according to major-league sources who were not authorized to speak publicly.
The Reds have numerous needs — starting pitching help, with righty Hunter Greene likely out for the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery; a catcher to replace free agent Tyler Stephenson; and additional offensive and bullpen upgrades.
They could not commit to Pagán at this early stage of the offseason.
Even later in the winter, it’s hard to believe the Reds would’ve paid Pagan that much.
A Telling Sign
The other fascinating thing about Pagan’s signing doesn’t involve the Reds so much as it involves the rest of the sport.
Oftentimes, lesser free agents seeking one-year deals sign after the big names are off the board.
This year with a lockout looming on Dec. 1, the rumblings suggest that a lot of the smaller contracts will try to get done quickly, before the sport is locked out. That lends security to both players and teams.
It appears Pagan was happy to get out in front of the field and just sign a solid deal to know where he’s going next year — and the answer is from Cincinnati to Detroit.
Reds Didn’t Try To Keep $11.5 Million Free Agent Signing