In a reunion that was anticipated, Emilio Pagan has agreed to a two-year deal with Cincinnati that includes an opt-out and will return as the closer for 2026:
He took over as the closer on March 29, 2025, and never looked back, converting a career-best 32 saves in 38 chances with a 2.98 ERA and 0.92 across 68.2 innings. His 81 strikeouts were tied as the fifth-most among National League relievers, and his 23 multi-strikeout outings were tied for sixth.
Here are his splits from last year:
Link: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/g6p25/1/
Speaking of splits, he threw his split-fingered fastball more in 2025 while throwing fewer cutters:
Fantasy managers will take solace in Pagan reprising his role as the closer for the Reds. However, mitigating regression to the mean will determine his relevance for 2026. As the closer, he’s halfway there. Maintaining a 22.8 percent swinging strike rate will prove beneficial.
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