Emilio Pagán wanted to remain with the Cincinnati Reds, even as he was exploring his options in free agency.

However, Pagán will be back with the club as its closer after finalizing a $20 million, two-year contract on Thursday. He has the right to opt out after the 2026 season.

“It was a pretty easy choice to come back. I like everything that we've got going on here,” Pagán said. “At the end of the day, I wasn’t going to make a decision based on who was giving me the most money. I wanted to go somewhere where I felt comfortable, where I felt like I had a chance to win games and be around a special group of people, and Cincinnati checks all three of those boxes.”

The 34-year-old right-hander became the Reds’ closer early last season and went 2-4 with a 2.88 ERA and a career-high 32 saves

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