The Reds’ offseason just got a lot more complicated.
Cincinnati now has to replace its closer after Emilio Pagán turned down his $10 million player option before Saturday’s deadline, sending the 35-year-old right-hander into free agency. He’s not the only one leaving the market, either. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez and right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson are also headed there after the team declined their 2027 mutual options.
Pagán’s decision comes after a season in which he handled the ninth inning for the Reds and delivered strong results when healthy. He joined Cincinnati as a free agent before the 2024 season, then took over the closer role in 2025 and posted a career-high 32 saves with a 2.88 ERA in 70 appearances.
Last winter, Pagán agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal to stay in Cincinnati, but the second season was built as a $10 million player option. In 2026, he went 5-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 25 saves in 45 outings.
His year got off to a rough start, then a left hamstring strain in a May 5 game against the Cubs landed him on the injured list for nearly two months. Once he returned on July 1, he locked back in, putting up a 1.88 ERA over his final 30 games and converting all 19 of his save chances.
Now Pagán enters a free-agent class that also features veteran relievers like Raisel Iglesias and David Bednar, along with elite setup man Adrian Morejon, among others.
Suárez’s exit closes the book on his second run with the Reds. Cincinnati signed him on Feb. 3 to a one-year, $15 million contract that included a $16 million mutual option and no buyout. He had already spent seven seasons with the club from 2015-21.
The power was there in stretches, but not at the level of his massive 2025 season, when he hit 49 home runs combined between the Mariners and Diamondbacks. In 125 games for Cincinnati, Suárez hit 26 homers, batted .212 and posted a .740 OPS. He managed only eight home runs over the first three months and missed 25 games from April 23-May 22 because of a left oblique strain.
He finished strong, though. From July 7 on, Suárez hit 18 home runs over his final 64 games, which ranked sixth in the National League over that span. His last blast of the season was a milestone one: his 350th career home run, which came on Sept. 22 at Atlanta.
Johnson also reached free agency after the Reds declined his 2027 mutual option. Cincinnati signed him to a one-year, $5.5 million deal on Jan. 15, and the option carried an $8 million price tag with a $1 million buyout. He finished the season 2-1 with a 4.62 ERA in 56 appearances.
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The Reds spent the first week of the offseason making a clear financial statement, declining the 2027 contract options for Emilio Pagan, Eugenio Suarez and Pierce Johnson. It is the kind of move that instantly reshapes the pitching picture and trims future commitments, even if it leaves a few familiar names suddenly on the open market.
Pagans situation is the one that stands out most, since he has handled closing duties for Cincinnati over the past two seasons and is now positioned to test free agency after turning down his $10 million option. Suarez and Johnson are also free agents after the club passed on their mutual options, with Johnsons exit including a $1 million buyout, and the Reds now have a bullpen reset to manage while bigger money decisions loom ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Just Created Flexibility That Could Reopen A Familiar Question
The Reds spent the early part of the offseason clearing some immediate payroll and roster space, and the latest moves only sharpen that picture. Cincinnati declined the mutual contract options on right-hander Pierce Johnson and infielder Eugenio Suarez, while Emilio Pagan announced he will decline his $10 million option, leaving the club with a lighter 40-man roster and a little more financial breathing room heading toward 2027.
For a team that has spent plenty of time balancing present needs against future flexibility, that kind of maneuvering matters. It also reopens a familiar question about how aggressively the Reds want to pursue help in the infield and on the mound, even as two recognizable names now head into free agency and the front office keeps its options open. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Could Have A Cheaper Rotation Answer This Winter
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That is why Aaron Civale has surfaced as a more realistic fit for the Reds if they want to add a starter without pushing too far into the upper tier of the market. Civales recent performance and free-agent status make him an appealing alternative on paper, especially for a club that has shown interest in shoring up the rotation while keeping its spending flexible. [Read more 🡒]