The Cincinnati Reds are going to be under some serious pressure this offseason. They were a solid team in 2025, as they surged into the postseason with a tremendous second half. But this year, the Reds were very disappointing across the board.

They struggled after the first month of the season and never found their consistent footing. As a result, they finished near the bottom of the National League and missed out on the postseason. Now, as the offseason begins, the Reds have a few big decisions to make, including one revolving around one of their most consistent pitchers.

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly recently suggested that the Reds must re-sign veteran closer Emilio Pagan this offseason if he opts out of his contract with the team.

Reds Need to Retain Emilio Pagan for Next Season

"Even though he'll pitch next season at 36, Emilio Pagán should be someone the Reds try to re-sign," Kelly wrote. "Pagán has a 3.07 ERA in 115 games over the past two seasons, despite pitching his home games at the bandbox of Great American Ball Park."

Pagan was incredible down the stretch of last season, as he posted a 1.71 ERA in 27 appearances during the second half of the season. He didn't record a loss in the second half either. This came after he battled a few injuries early in the season, which caused him to be incredibly inconsistent before suffering a big injury that knocked him out for a few months.

Considering how dominant he was down the stretch, the Reds need to make sure he remains in the Queen City for the next year or two, even if it costs them a good chunk of change. Closers aren't very cheap on the open market, but there also aren't very many dominant options around the league. The Reds might not have the best closer in the league on their team, but Pagan has put the team above himself multiple times in Cincinnati.

The Reds should respond by giving him a good contract with a club option in a year or two. The club option would let the Reds keep him on the roster even as he inches closer to 40 years old. A two-year deal worth around $25 million with a club option for the third year would be perfect for the Reds, but Pagan might require more money than that.

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