Tigers Hand Emilio Pagán $11 Million in High-Stakes Bullpen Gamble
Jon Heyman reported the signing via sources.
The just handed Emilio Pagán $11 million for one year of relief pitching, which is a fantastic reminder that the going rate for a guy who throws one inning at a time has officially reached lottery-winner status.
According to Jon Heyman, Detroit is locking down the veteran right-hander to bolster a bullpen that desperately needs reliable outs.
Pagán is coming off a stint with the Cincinnati Reds where he actually put together a solid resume when his legs were working. He racked up 25 saves and posted a 3.38 ERA with 45 strikeouts before hitting the shelf.
The catch is that he spent a chunk of the season dealing with a serious left hamstring strain. Paying eight figures for a reliever coming off a blown tire is the kind of gamble that makes front offices sweat.
For context, that $11 million is roughly $440,000 per save if he repeats last year's production. That is a wild price tag for a guy who might need an ice bath just from jogging in from the outfield grass.
For anyone looking at Detroit's season win totals, this is the exact type of high-variance move that swings late-game leads. A reliable back-end arm is often the difference between a clean ninth inning and a total bullpen meltdown.
If his hamstring holds up, the Tigers just bought themselves a legitimate stopper. If it does not, that contract is going to look like a very expensive rehab assignment.
We will see how his legs respond when he ramps up for the season, but Detroit is clearly tired of blowing games in the ninth.