RADIO
Emilio Pagan Becomes a Free Agent
The Cincinnati Reds announced on Saturday that right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan declined his $10 million 2027 player option to become a free agent. Pagan did not pitch for the Reds from May 5 to July 3 due to a strained left hamstring. He finished the 2026 campaign with a 5-1 record, 3.38 ERA, and 25 saves in 28 chances while making $10 million. The 35-year-old veteran has 90 saves in his 10 seasons in the big leagues, with the last three coming with the Reds. The former 10th-round pick in 2013 out of Belmont Abbey College by the Seattle Mariners should attract plenty of interest on the open market for a multi-year contract after recording 57 saves in the last two seasons in Cincy, but he might not be guaranteed a primary closing job with a new organization. Pagan also had 20 saves in 70 innings pitched in his third year in the majors in 2019 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He has 90 career saves in 549 1/3 innings pitched in his 10 years in the league with six different teams. The journeyman reliever had a nice 6.3% walk rate this year, but his strikeout rate dropped from 30% in 2025 to 25.9% in 2026.
Source: Cincinnati Reds
Source: Cincinnati Reds
Emilio Pagan Dealing With Hand Soreness
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that right-handed closer Emilio Pagan (hand) was dealing with some hand soreness, which is why he wasn't available to pitch in the ninth inning in Thursday's win over the Chicago White Sox, according to Chatterbox Sports. Francona said that Pagan is going to be looked at on Friday morning, and if he checks out well, he should be available out of the bullpen for Friday's series opener at home against the Miami Marlins. With Pagan unavailable on Thursday, Julian Garcia recorded his second career save while allowing a run in the process. If Pagan's hand injury keeps him out longer, Garcia, Tejay Antone, and Pierce Johnson could all be options for saves for Francona. The 35-year-old Pagan missed a big chunk of the season in the first half due to a hamstring strain, and he has a less-than-ideal 4.10 ERA in 26 1/3 innings, but he's Cincy's primary closer when healthy and has 14 saves on the year. Francona has been pretty loyal to Pagan as his primary ninth-inning man.
Source: Chatterbox Sports
Source: Chatterbox Sports
Emilio Pagan Needs to be Rostered After Returning From Injury
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan was recently activated from the Injured List after missing time due to a hamstring strain. Pagan returned at the end of June after being sidelined since early May. The right-hander had a slow start to the season, but figures to reclaim his role as the primary closer. He currently owns a 6.28 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and six saves in nine attempts across 16 appearances this season. Those aren't pretty numbers to look at, but Pagan has shown he's capable of holding down the closer role. He registered 32 saves with a 2.88 ERA across 70 appearances last season. The Reds don't have much competition at the backend of the bullpen, so Pagan figures to reclaim the full-time role. Fantasy managers looking for bullpen help should add Pagan if he's available.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Emilio Pagan to be Activated on Tuesday, Returning to Closer's Role?
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (hamstring) will be activated from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. Francona also said it "makes sense" to put Pagan in the ninth-inning closer's role. The 35-year-old veteran reliever will rejoin Cincy's bullpen for the first time since being put on the IL in early May due to a Grade 2 strained left hamstring. Pagan wasn't exactly pitching well in the closer's role earlier this year for the Reds before his hamstring injury, as he had a 6.43 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with 11 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched, but he also had six saves in his 15 appearances, and he is the most experienced closer in Cincy's bad bullpen with 71 career saves. It makes even more sense for Pagan to immediately return as the Reds' closer with both Tony Santillan (oblique) and Graham Ashcraft (elbow) out with injuries. Pagan is only rostered in 65% of Yahoo leagues. This is your reminder to go and pick Pagan up if you need saves.
Source: FOX 19 - Charlie Goldsmith
Source: FOX 19 - Charlie Goldsmith
Emilio Pagan Impresses in Rehab Outing, Joining Reds Next?
Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (hamstring) looks to be on the verge of returning from the 15-day injured list after working a scoreless inning with one hit allowed while throwing eight strikes on his nine pitches with Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. It was Pagan's second rehab appearance for Louisville after he tossed six pitches in a perfect inning on Friday. The 35-year-old veteran has been sidelined since suffering a left-hamstring strain while pitching against the division-rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 5. He could rejoin the Reds' bullpen for their next series this week against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers, and given the way Cincy's bullpen has struggled with Pagan out, fantasy managers should not be surprised if manager Terry Francona reinserts Pagan as the primary ninth-inning arm right away, especially with both Tony Santillan (oblique) and Graham Ashcraft (elbow) also on the IL. Before injuring his hamstring, Pagan, who has 71 career saves, had a rough 6.43 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, but with six saves in his 15 appearances. Fantasy managers desperate for saves should be looking to add Pagan, who is rostered in only 65% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
Source: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
Caleb Ferguson Earns Save, Worth a Look as Potential Part-Time Saves Source?
Cincinnati Reds left-hander Caleb Ferguson picked up his first save of the season on Friday, allowing a hit and recording a strikeout while pitching a scoreless ninth inning in his team's 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ferguson did not make his season debut until late May due to an oblique issue. He's pitched well since returning, recording a 1.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts across 13 2/3 innings (13 games). The 32-year-old has notched seven career saves across eight seasons in the big leagues and profiles more as a lefty specialist than a closer. However, the Reds are scrambling to fill their ninth-inning role with Emilio Pagan (hamstring), Graham Ashcraft (elbow), and Tony Santillan (oblique) all currently on the injured list. Pagan is nearing a rehab assignment and could return to the Reds around the All-Star break. Still, until then, Ferguson could be worth adding in deeper leagues as a potential source of saves.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Reds Place Tony Santillan on Injured List With Oblique Strain
The Cincinnati Reds announced on Friday that they placed right-handed reliever Tony Santillan (oblique) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 23) with a strained left oblique and recalled right-hander Zach McCambley from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Although Santillan has an ERA over 5.00 with a 1.39 WHIP in 31 innings in 2026 in his sixth year in the league, he has been pitching much better of late and has been manager Terry Francona's go-to guy in the ninth inning with the game on the line, with right-hander Emilio Pagan (hamstring) still on the IL. Santillan took the loss in his inning of work on Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers in his last outing, but before that, he had a stretch of seven straight scoreless appearances in which he walked none, struck out six, and picked up three saves. When Santillan returns from his oblique strain (likely after the All-Star break next month), Pagan should be back, which means he probably won't be a candidate for save opportunities. Until Pagan returns, Francona could turn to either Tejay Antone or Brock Burke for saves. UPDATE: Francona said that an MRI exam showed that Santillan is dealing with a significant strain in his left oblique, per FOX 19's Charlie Goldsmith.
Source: Cincinnati Reds
Source: Cincinnati Reds
Emilio Pagan Expects to Begin Rehab Assignment on Thursday
Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (hamstring) threw a 25-pitch live bullpen session on Monday and said he expects to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday with Triple-A Louisville, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. The original plan was for Pagan to pitch in rehab games on Thursday and Saturday, but he's hoping he can return from the 15-day injured list sooner than that. The 35-year-old veteran is finally nearing a return to the back end of Cincy's bullpen after being sidelined since early May due to a Grade 2 left-hamstring strain that he suffered at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Right-handed reliever Tony Santillan has pitched better recently as manager Terry Francona's preferred closing option in the ninth inning, but the expectation is that Pagan will return to the closer's role when he returns from the IL, potentially this weekend. Even though Pagan wasn't exactly pitching well before his hamstring injury, he did have six saves in 15 outings, and he has 71 career saves in 10 big-league seasons. Pagan is rostered in 63% of Yahoo leagues. Fantasy managers in need of saves need to pick him up now.
Source: The Athletic - C. Trent Rosecrans
Source: The Athletic - C. Trent Rosecrans
Tony Santillan Emerging as High-End Short-Term Source for Saves
Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Tony Santillan tossed two shutout innings on Sunday against the Yankees to earn his sixth save of the season in nine opportunities. It was a crisp two innings for Santillan, as he did not allow a base runner and needed only 16 pitches to record six outs, and 11 of those were strikes. Santillan has had opportunities of late to close out games due to Emilio Pagan (hamstring) landing on the 15-day injured list. Pagan is throwing right now, as he completed live batting practice in a simulated game on Friday, but is likely still going to do a few rehab assignments, meaning Santillan has the opportunity to close out games for another few weeks, so long as he continues to produce. Santillan, on the season, has not been sharp; he owns a 5.10 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, but has clearly become the preferred arm to close games, as the next closest arm for save opportunities is Sam Moll with four chances. Although it may not be pretty, in leagues where saves are scarce, Santillan is worth a look in the short term simply based on opportunity.
Source: Baseball Savant
Source: Baseball Savant
Reds Promote Julian Garcia, Will he Carve out a Role?
Ken Rosenthal, senior writer at The Athletic, reported on Sunday that the Cincinnati Reds are calling up right-handed pitcher Julian Garcia, per a source. Garcia, 31, was a 10th-round pick in 2016. He will be making his major-league debut. At Triple-A this season, Garcia owns an impressive 3.03 ERA and 13.6 K/9 in 35 2/3 innings pitched with a 1.07 WHIP. Garcia has done most of his work out of the bullpen, as he's started two games and appeared in 21 games. Although the Reds' bullpen is nothing to write home about, Garcia is unlikely to be deployed immediately in high-leverage, late-inning situations, making him fantasy irrelevant in leagues that do not prioritize holds. Garcia has the elite stuff, evidenced by his 37.7 percent strikeout rate, 33.3 percent chase rate, and 37.7 percent whiff rate, and he certainly has the stuff to move into that role, but it's unlikely it comes right out of the gate. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues desperate for saves or good ratios will want to keep an eye on how he does in his first few outings and see how he's deployed before he should be picked up off the waiver wire.
Source: Ken Rosenthal
Source: Ken Rosenthal
Emilio Pagan Feels Good After Throwing Live Bullpen Session
Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (hamstring) felt good during his 20-pitch live bullpen session (he used his full repertoire of pitches) on Friday at Yankee Stadium, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "The fastball command was good, stuff was good. Physically, I felt strong. I'm really happy with how it went," Pagán said. "I felt like I could have thrown probably another 15-20 more, too. I felt like I was getting stronger as I went. That's a good sign." The 35-year-old has been out since he strained his left hamstring on May 5 against the division-rival Chicago Cubs, and his original prognosis was that he would miss four to eight weeks. Pagan threw his first bullpen on June 9 and has continued to progress without setbacks. He will next throw another live bullpen on Monday, and if that goes well, manager Terry Francona expects him to start a minor-league rehab assignment. The Reds' bullpen has mostly struggled the last six weeks without Pagan. The veteran reliever had a 6.43 ERA and six saves in nine chances before his injury, but he's coming off a career year in 2025 in which he had a 2.88 ERA and a career-high 32 saves. The expectation is that Francona will reinsert Pagan as the team's primary closer whenever he's activated from the IL.
Source: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
Source: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
Emilio Pagan to Throw Sim Game on Saturday
Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (hamstring) received clearance to face hitters on June 13 after his MRI exam looked good, and he threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. Pagan will pitch in a simulated game/live bullpen session on Saturday, June 19, at Yankee Stadium, according to MLB.com. The veteran hurler has been on the 15-day injured list since May 6 due to a Grade 2 strained left hamstring, but barring a setback as he continues to build up, he could rejoin the back end of the Reds' bullpen before the calendar flips to July. If the 35-year-old looks good this weekend during his sim game, he could be cleared to go on a short minor-league rehab assignment. Although Pagan wasn't looking all that great in 2026 before his hamstring injury -- he had a 6.43 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, six saves, and 11 strikeouts in 14 innings -- he will most likely be put right back into the closer's role in Cincy by manager Terry Francona. The Reds' bullpen has been one of the worst units in baseball since Pagan went down with his injury in early May. The 10-year veteran (71 career saves) is currently rostered in 62% of Yahoo leagues, so fantasy managers who need saves should consider picking him up now.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Emilio Pagan to Throw Another Bullpen on Monday
Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (hamstring), who has been on the 15-day injured list since May 6 with a strained left hamstring, threw a bullpen session on Saturday and is expected to throw another on Monday, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. He could face live hitters as soon as Friday in New York. If the 35-year-old veteran makes it through his bullpen on Monday and a live bullpen session on Friday without any setbacks with his hamstring, he should be cleared to start a minor-league rehab assignment. It all means that Pagan could be back with the Reds' major-league roster by late next week or the weekend. Before injuring his hamstring at Wrigley Field in early May, Pagan had six saves in 15 appearances out of the bullpen, but he was also sporting an ugly 6.43 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 14 innings pitched. However, the Reds' bullpen has been extremely unreliable in his absence, so manager Terry Francona is expected to immediately reinsert Pagan into the closer's role when he returns. Fantasy managers desperate for saves should take notice and stash Pagan now. He's rostered in only 62% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.
Source: The Athletic - C. Trent Rosecrans
Source: The Athletic - C. Trent Rosecrans
Emilio Pagan to Throw Live Bullpen Session on Friday
Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan (hamstring) has been cleared to throw a live bullpen session on Friday, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. After already throwing a couple of normal bullpen sessions, Pagan has been cleared to face live hitters for the first time after a recent MRI exam showed that his Grade 2 left-hamstring strain is healing nicely. If the 35-year-old continues to avoid setbacks late next week, he'll likely be cleared to start a minor-league rehab assignment. Pagan has been sidelined since May 6 with his hamstring injury, so fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he's required to make several appearances on the farm. In his absence, the Reds' bullpen has been one of the worst in baseball this season. Tony Santillan is the best bet for save chances until Pagan returns, but once he's reinstated from the 15-day injured list, manager Terry Francona should go right back to Pagan as the preferred closing option in the ninth inning. The 10-year veteran has 71 career saves and locked down six games before his injury, but he also allowed 10 earned runs with six walks and 11 K's in 14 relief innings. Pagan is currently rostered in 62% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: FOX 19 - Charlie Goldsmith
Source: FOX 19 - Charlie Goldsmith
Tony Santillan Bounces Back for Third Save, Still the Closer to Roster in Cincinnati?
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Tony Santillan picked up his third save of the season on Saturday against the Diamondbacks, working a perfect ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. He retired the side in order on three groundouts, throwing 10 of 14 pitches for strikes while navigating the heart of Arizona's lineup. It was Santillan's first save since May 19, and he remains the only pitcher on the Reds aside from the injured Emilio Pagan (hamstring) with multiple saves this season. With Pagan still sidelined, he figures to retake the closer role when he's ready to return. Still, until then, Santillan has been the most reliable option in high-leverage situations. The 29-year-old is probably the most likely Reds pitcher to get any save chances that come up in the near term. Santillan is currently rostered in just 9% of Yahoo leagues, making him worth a look for managers chasing saves while Pagan remains out.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
