Reds face tough call on Emilio Pagán but door isn’t shut on 2026 reunion

The Cincinnati Reds find themselves staring at another delicate offseason decision. Emilio Pagán, once viewed as a veteran stopgap, has completely altered his narrative in 2025. He was never meant to be the man at the back of the bullpen, but he seized the opportunity and became one of the Reds’ most dependable arms in a season where consistency has been hard to come by. Now, as free agency looms, the club must weigh whether his resurgence is a sign of long-term stability or if it was just a one-year outlier.

Relief pitching has always been a volatile market, with production swinging wildly from one season to the next. For the Reds, Pagán has been more than just another bullpen arm. He brought a bulldog mentality to the ninth inning — a trait that has earned him a ton of respect from teammates and fans alike. With a 2.93 ERA, 31 saves, and 80 strikeouts across 67⅔ innings, he not only silenced critics but outperformed many of the league’s elite closers coming into the 2025 season.

Emilio Pagán forced Reds to rethink bullpen plans after surprise 2025 surge

Going into the season, the Reds had pinned their hopes on Alexis Díaz rediscovering his All-Star form. Instead, Díaz’s inconsistencies led to him being traded away, which opened the door for Pagán to seize the role. What began as what many expected to be a closer-by-committee quickly turned into Pagán cementing himself as the full-time finisher.

Not many could have predicted how quickly he would rise to the challenge. The Reds are a team that has too often faltered in late-game situations, Pagán became the anchor, proving that a veteran arm can still thrive when handed the ball in the biggest moments.

And yet, the decision isn’t as straightforward as simply re-signing him and handing him the closer role again in 2026. Pagán’s track record is a mixed bag — since 2020, only once has he posted a season ERA under 3.00 before this year. While 2025 has shown what he’s capable of when everything clicks, it also raises the question of whether Cincinnati can expect the same dominance moving forward.

Still, it’s hard to ignore what Pagán has meant to this season. He stabilized a shaky bullpen, gave fans reason to believe in tight games, and brought a level of confidence to the late innings that had been sorely missing.

Even if the Reds choose not to anoint him as their closer for 2026, bringing him back on the right deal could give them both insurance and leadership in the bullpen. The door isn’t shut on a reunion, but the Reds will need to tread carefully — they can’t afford to lose the heartbeat of their bullpen, nor can they afford to bet wrong on lightning striking twice.

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