The Cincinnati Reds just had their worst season in four years and came stone cold last in the National League Central Division. There is a lot to do, and a lot of holes to plug in both the line-up and the pitching stuff. It will not help them, then, that their roster just got worse.
Yesterday, the Reds suffered a substantial if not unexpected blow to their offseason plans, with closer Emilio Pagán declining his $10 million player option for 2027 and electing to enter free agency instead. The decision leaves the Reds without their most reliable late-inning pitcher and creates a significant vacancy on a roster already in need of considerable improvement, particularly in its pitching department.
The problem is itself compounded by the status of Pagán’s best set-up man. Right-hander Brock Burke is headed to free agency after a summer in which he was clearly the best of the bunch for the Reds, who had paid him only $2.325 million last season. Understandably, on the basis of his career-best performance and at age 29, Burke will be looking for what will very likely be the best pay check he is ever going to get. And with the Reds as far off the pace as they are, they surely cannot be considered favorites to give him it.
Two Crafty Veterans
The Reds fanbase had hoped that Pagán, 35, would return for another season after re-signing to a two-year, $20 million contract last December. However, his strong finish to the 2026 campaign has evidently convinced him that he can secure a better deal on the open market, potentially one offering greater long-term security, even with the uncertainty of a probable lockout looming.
Pagán finished the season with a 5-1 record overall, a 3.38 ERA and 25 saves in 28 opportunities, striking out 45 batters and walking only 11 across 42.2 innings. Those numbers represented a slight decline from his excellent 2025 campaign, when he recorded a career-high 32 saves, a 2.88 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 68.2 innings, but nevertheless established him as one of the few dependable performers in an otherwise disappointing Cincinnati bullpen. Pagán struggled during the opening weeks and subsequently missed almost two months of action with a strained left hamstring, but across his final 30 appearances, he recorded a 1.88 ERA and successfully converted all 19 of his save opportunities.
Meanwhile, Burke – acquired in an offseason trade featuring Gavin Lux, who was sent to the Tampa Bay Rays but never played a single game due to injury – had his best season since 2022. Pitching in almost half of the Reds’ games, he posted a 2.30 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 77.1 innings across 74 games, walking more batters than usual but crucially missing barrels all year..
Reds Have Too Many Problems Right Now
In addition to their now-annual offensive problems, the Reds also experienced a team-wide pitching regression in 2026. They finished the 2026 season with a 75-87 record, last in the National League Central, while their team ERA deteriorated from 3.86 in 2025 to 4.83, ranking 28th across the whole of the majors. Their pitching staff also issued an MLB-high 668 walks.
Despite the previous winter’s additions of Burke, Caleb Ferguson and Pierce Johnson, and the nothing season of staff ace Hunter Greene, the bullpen shouldered a big portion of the blame. Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft both endured inconsistent seasons, and Santillan underwent hip surgery that could affect his availability at the beginning of 2027. Neither is an obvious replacement for the security Pagán provided in the ninth inning – and despite the early proclamations of this author, Luis Mey is not nearly ready to be the team’s next closer.
Cincinnati could still attempt to re-sign both Burke and Pagán, although doing so would likely require a more substantial financial commitment than the $12.3 million they combined for. Given Pagan’s age, the Reds must weigh the benefits of retaining an established closer against the risks of committing significant money to a relief pitcher approaching his late thirties – he has, after all, just rejected $10 million – while Burke might be an even hotter commodity given his much younger age.
Pagán’s decision also comes as Cincinnati faces the potential departures of several other veterans, including catcher Tyler Stephenson and starting pitcher Brady Singer. The club has additionally declined its mutual options on Eugenio Suárez and Pierce Johnson, further increasing the amount of work facing its front office.
Having accumulated 57 saves over the past two years, Pagán enters the market with recent experience in one of baseball’s most demanding bullpen roles. Having pitched to a nearly-two ERA in a full season of work, Burke will be looking to graduate to the next level. For the Reds, though, having already endured a disappointing season, they must now find replacements for two of the few players whose performances gave them genuine confidence in the late innings.
Reds to Lose Two Best Relievers From Already Bad Bullpen