Goodbye: Former Twins Reliever Signs Free Agent Contract with Reds

admin | November 30, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

On Wednesday, a vital part of the Twins’ relief corps for the previous two seasons made their formal move.

The Cincinnati Reds and free agency reliever Emilio Pagan, a former Twin, reached a two-year agreement, according to a report published on Wednesday by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. After playing with the Twins for the previous two seasons, Pagán, 32, became a divisive bullpen piece among Twins supporters.

The day before Opening Day 2022, Taylor Rogers and Brent Rooker were given back to the Padres in exchange for Pagán and starter Chris Paddack, which Minnesota acquired from San Diego. Pitching for the Twins in the first month of 2022, Pagán and Paddack both had strong performances.Subsequently, Paddack sustained an injury that necessitated his second Tommy John surgery. And Pagán, well, many Twins fans recall that in late June 2022, after blowing four important games against the Cleveland Guardians, he pitched himself out of the unofficial closer role.

When he faced them on June 21, his ERA was 2.45 for the season, but those four appearances caused it to soar. It was 5.26 following the fourth appearance. In 2 1/3 innings against the Guardians that month, Pagán gave up nine earned runs, and many claimed that was the difference that kept the Twins behind the Guardians in the AL Central race.

Pagán was just average for the remaining seven weeks of the 2023 season, and he was similarly terrible for the majority of 2022. He struggled in his first sixteen relief appearances, and on May 17, after giving up a game-winning grand slam to Dodgers rookie James Outman, he looked all but done.

Then, though, an unexpected thing happened: He got back to his previous level and dominated the Twins’ final 50 games. After the home run, he dropped his ERA from 5.60 to 2.99 to close the season and help the Twins make the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Pagán earned this deal with the Reds thanks to his regeneration from mid-May to the end of the 2023 campaign. They’re fully investing in him as well, with a structure that is player-friendly and significant guaranteed funds.

Emilio Pagán deal with Reds, pending physical, source tells @TheAthletic: Two years, $16M with performance bonuses. Player option after year one. First with agreement: @Feinsand @JonHeyman

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 29, 2023

However, some Twins supporters will always remember him as the implosion of 2022. Pagán is one of those relievers that wasn’t completely bad during his time with the Twins, much like Matt Capps was before him. But the bad times outweighed the good, and he will always be remembered as one of the Twins’ most divisive relievers.