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 s

See Full Page