The Cincinnati Reds may have a built-in answer waiting in their own bullpen after Emilio Pagán chose free agency.
Francys Romero reported Saturday that Pagán declined the Reds’ $10 million option for the 2027 season and is headed to the open market with “a strong chance of landing a multi-year contract.” Romero also noted Pagán’s strong second half, when he went 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA, 29 SO in 26.1 IP and 18 SV.
That leaves Cincinnati with a gap to fill, and while the club could still try to bring Pagán back, the price tag and term could push the Reds toward other options already on the roster. The bullpen was shaky last season, but there are a few arms who could be asked to step into bigger leverage spots.
Luis Mey stands out as the most interesting internal candidate. He’s been uneven for much of his time in the spotlight, but he started to settle in as last season wound down.
His overall ERA looks worse because of one nightmare appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers, when he gave up eight earned runs in a single inning. Outside of that outing, he was much better in the second half.
The stuff is there. Mey’s slider is one of the best pitches in the Reds organization, and he complements it with a sinker that can reach 100 miles per hour. The challenge has always been command, but for a stretch last season, he did a much better job of throwing strikes.
He’s not ready to be handed the closer job today. Still, Mey has real upside, and if he keeps moving in the right direction this offseason, he could emerge as one of Cincinnati’s top high-leverage relievers. If the bullpen picture breaks the wrong way, he even has a path to the closer role.
In Other News...
Sal Stewart Just Put The Reds In A Tough Rookie Debate
Sal Stewarts first full season in Cincinnati gave the Reds exactly the kind of middle-of-the-order production they have been chasing, and now it has him in the final three for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. The first baseman played all 162 games, hit .263 with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs, and put himself in some rare company in the process, adding his name to a short list of Reds rookies with 30 or more homers.
The award race is where the conversation gets interesting for Cincinnati. Stewarts year was strong enough to set a franchise rookie RBI record, but he is up against Wetherholt and Benge, who also turned in notable rookie seasons of their own. For the Reds, it is a good problem to have, even if the final vote may come down to how much weight the panel puts on durability, power and the kind of season Stewart just finished. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Suddenly Face A Closer Decision They Can't Miss
The Reds are heading into the offseason with one of their most important bullpen questions suddenly back on the table. Emilio Pagns departure leaves a real void at the back end, and it comes at a time when Cincinnati already knows how fragile the relief mix can look without him. During Pagns injury absence in 2026, the bullpen struggled to hold up, and the unit still sits near the bottom of the league in ERA, which makes the need for stability in the ninth inning hard to ignore.
So the front office has a decision to make, and it is not a small one. Cincinnati can try to solve the role from within, shop the free-agent market for a proven closer, or even circle back on Pagn if the price and fit make sense. However it plays out, the Reds cannot afford to treat this like a secondary move, because the bullpen has already shown what happens when the late innings are left unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Trade Buzz Just Raised A Huge Prospect Question
Bostons offseason roster cleanup has already sent Nate Eaton, Tsung-Che Cheng and Eduardo Rivera elsewhere, and now the Red Sox are being tied to a far bigger kind of conversation. The latest buzz around their search for fit and flexibility has them at least exploring the market for impact talent, with Cincinnati shortstop Elly De La Cruz among the names floating through speculative trade chatter.
For the Reds, that kind of rumor always lands in a different register because De La Cruz is the sort of player who changes the ceiling of a roster, not just the depth chart. Any real pursuit would come with a steep cost and a long list of moving parts, which is why the question hanging over this story is less about Bostons interest than about what kind of return would even be enough to get Cincinnati to listen. [Read more 🡒]