Reds manager Terry Francona indicated Tuesday that Pagan will continue to serve as the team's primary closer for now even after Alexis Diaz's return from the injured list, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Francona has suggested previously that he wants Diaz to get his closer job back, but he plans to ease the reliever back into high-leverage work. Pagan holds a 1.23 ERA and has successfully converted all four of his save opportunities thus far. While Diaz should get another crack at the ninth inning if he pitches well, fantasy managers should hang on to Pagan for the time being.

Pagan turned in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Pagan now has saves in back-to-back days as he's established himself as the Reds' preferred ninth-inning option in the absence of Alexis Diaz (hamstring). The 33-year-old Pagan is now 4-for-4 in save chances while allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits through 7.1 innings to start the year.

Pagan (0-1) took the loss Wednesday against the Giants after giving up a two-run home run in the 10th inning.

EDGE Analysis

Pagan came on to pitch the 10th inning in a 6-6 game, promptly allowing a two-run home run to Mike Yastrzemski after just two pitches as the Giants walked it off. The journeyman right-hander still holds a sharp 1.69 ERA, 0.59 WHIP and 3:1 K:BB with two saves over 5.1 innings this season, and he should continue sharing ninth-inning work alongside Tony Santillan as long as Alexis Diaz (hamstring) remains on the injured list.

Pagan worked a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his second save of the season in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Giants.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran righty needed only seven pitches (six strikes) to get the job done. Pagan hasn't been a full-time closer since 2019, when he collected 20 saves for the Rays. but he's getting a chance to handle that job while Alexis Diaz (hamstring) gets healthy and tries to get his mechanics back in sync. Through his first five appearances this season, Pagan has a 0.00 ERA and 3:1 K:BB and has allowed only one hit. Tony Santillan, who recorded the final out of Monday's combined shutout after Hunter Greene fired 8.2 innings, has the only other save so far in 2025 for Cincinnati.

Pagan was warming up in the bullpen in the bottom of the eighth inning of Sunday's loss to the Giants and appeared poised for a save chance had the Reds taken the lead, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Reds did not take the lead and Pagan did not make an appearance. However, the fact that Pagan recorded a save Saturday and was warming for a potential save Sunday suggests he is currently at the top of the team's closer hierarchy while Alexis Diaz (hamstring) is out. Tony Santillan looks to be manager Terry Francona's most trusted reliever, but Francona prefers to use Santillan "when we need to put the fire out" earlier in games.

Pagan pitched a perfect ninth inning Saturday against the Giants to get the save in a 3-2 victory.

EDGE Analysis

Pagan didn't strike out any Giants batters, and as a matter of fact the Giants only struck out once as a team. It's noteworthy that Tony Santillan pitched the seventh and Graham Ashcraft pitched the eighth to set up the save chance for Pagan.

Pagan exercised his $8 million player option for 2025 on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

Pagan was forced to sit out the first half of the season due to a lat injury, and he accumulated a 4.50 ERA across 38 innings upon returning in mid-August. Given his decline in performance, it was unlikely he'd receive an offer close to $8 million in free agency, so the 33-year-old righty will return to Cincinnati and likely fill a high-leverage role out of the bullpen.

Pagan has an $8 million option for the 2025 season that he's expected to exercise this offseason, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Pagan missed three months of the season with a lat injury, but returned to action Aug. 10 and finished the campaign healthy. He wasn't as effective as usual over his 38 innings in 2024 (4.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP), and given that he would be unlikely to receive a contract exceeding $8 million on the open market, it makes sense for him to run it back with Cincinnati for another season.

Pagan allowed two hits and a walk while striking out three over a scoreless inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Cardinals.

EDGE Analysis

Alexis Diaz had pitched four of the previous five days, leaving this save chance up for grabs. Pagan nearly made a mess of it by loading the bases with no outs before fanning Jordan Walker, Thomas Saggese and Matt Carpenter to end the threat. Since returning from a lat injury in August, Pagan has been scored upon in just one of his 12 outings, though he gave up four runs in an inning in that misstep. He's at a 3.67 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 41:10 K:BB with one save and seven holds across 34.1 innings this year.

Pagan will open Wednesday's game against the Cardinals, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Pagan owns a 4.22 ERA and 1.36 WHIP through 21.1 innings on the season, though he threw a scoreless inning against the Brewers on Sunday in his first game since returning from the IL. He's only made one appearance that lasted longer than one inning this year, so he'll likely only be asked to get through the Cardinals' first three batters before handing the game over Carson Spiers, who is expected to pitch in bulk relief.