The Tigers wasted little time making noise at the MLB general managers meetings, and their first move appears aimed squarely at the back end of the bullpen.
Detroit is signing veteran right-hander Emilio Pagan to a one-year contract, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post that was later confirmed by multiple outlets. The Athletic reported late Tuesday, Nov. 10, that the deal is worth $11.5 million. The Tigers have not announced the signing yet, with the agreement still pending a physical.
The move lines up neatly with what Scott Harris said earlier Tuesday, when the Tigers president made clear the club was hunting for a specific kind of arm.
"We want to add more swing-and-miss in the back end of our pen. We want to add like a stable veteran presence who can get righties out and get lefties out and add a little more leadership to our clubhouse," Harris told Detroit reporters earlier Tuesday. "If we can find that, that'd be great."
Pagan, 35, fits that description as a 10-year major league veteran with closing experience. He spent the last three seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and turned down a $10 million player option to remain there for 2027. Before that, he pitched for the Seattle Mariners, A’s, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins.
Over his career, Pagan has a 3.64 ERA with 626 strikeouts in 549.1 innings. His walk rate has also held up well, sitting at 2.6 for his career and 2.3 last season with Cincinnati.
The Reds used him in the ninth inning the past two years, and he saved 57 games over that stretch. He also has closer experience from earlier in his career with the Rays.
Detroit’s bullpen picture has been unsettled for a while. Earlier this offseason, the Tigers declined Kenley Jansen’s $12 million option for 2027 after his uneven lone season in Detroit.
Jansen finished with 22 saves in 2026, while no other returning Tiger had more than two. Will Vest, who saved 23 games in 2025, had only two in 2026 after a season largely wiped out by elbow and hip surgeries.
Harris said Vest is trending toward being ready for spring training, and he remains in the mix for manager AJ Hinch, who doesn’t tend to stick rigidly to defined bullpen roles.
The Tigers’ relief issues were a major factor in a 2026 season that ended at 76-86 and left them out of the playoffs for the first time since 2023. Detroit blew 32 of 64 save chances, a number that tells the story all by itself.
Pagan’s 2026 season had its own twists. He was sitting on a 6.43 ERA in early May before landing on the injured list with a hamstring injury.
Once he returned in early July, he was far better. From that point through the end of the season, he posted a 1.88 ERA with 34 strikeouts and five walks in 28.2 innings.
He works with a mid-90s four-seam fastball, along with a cutter and a sinker, according to FanGraphs.
The GM meetings run through Thursday, and more movement is expected as teams try to get ahead of what could be a busy stretch before the likely lockout when the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. Dec.
- And even with Pagan coming aboard, the Tigers may not be finished shopping for bullpen help.
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Tigers Just Added A Bullpen Answer Fans Will Immediately Debate
The Tigers have added a veteran late-inning arm in Emilio Pagn, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $11.5 million after he declined a $10 million player option to make the move to Detroit. It is the kind of bullpen addition that instantly invites a split reaction, because Pagn brings the experience of a former closer and the sort of profile teams either trust in tight games or spend all winter arguing over.
Pagns track record is built on swing-and-miss stuff, but it comes with the usual caveats that follow him from stop to stop: strikeouts, walks and the occasional mistake that leaves the yard. His pitch mix and usage have long made him a fascinating case study for evaluators, and now the Tigers are betting that his strengths will play in their bullpen mix. The only real question is how quickly he settles into a role that could matter plenty in the American League race. [Read more 🡒]
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The timing makes the assignment even more interesting, with the Astros also bringing in Randy Flores as general manager and moving on from Joe Espada as manager. Ausmus inherits a job that demands steadiness, authority and quick buy-in, especially in a market that expects to contend. For Detroit observers who remember how closely his tenure was watched here, it is another reminder that some baseball jobs come with a spotlight that never really dims. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin McGonigle Just Put Detroit In A Rare Draft Position
Scott Harris first draft class with the Tigers in 2023 is already looking like a franchise-changing haul, and Kevin McGonigles rise has only sharpened that view. With McGonigle winning American League Rookie of the Year, Detroit gets an additional draft pick immediately after the first round in 2027, a reward that reflects both the players impact and the organizations recent success in identifying talent.
The result is a rare setup for the Tigers, who are now positioned to make three first-round selections in that draft. Detroit is also eligible for the draft lottery and could add another Competitive Balance Round A pick, giving the front office a chance to keep building from a place of unusual draft capital. For a team that has spent years trying to deepen its talent base, 2027 is suddenly shaping up as a pivotal class. [Read more 🡒]