Cincinnati Reds Emerge as Potential Suitor for Dominant Free Agent Arm

The Cincinnati Reds will likely need a new closer for the 2026 season with Emilio Pagan becoming a free agent. It's unlikely the Reds will be willing to pay what Pagan will be asking for in the open market.

The Reds have expressed interest in free agent reliever Devin Williams, according to Will Sammon on The Athletic.

The 31-year-old is coming off the worst season of his career. After being traded to the New York Yankees last offseason, Williams appeared in 67 games for New York during the 2025 season. He struggled with an ERA of 4.79, the highest of his career by far.

Whichever team takes a shot on him in free agency will be hoping they get the version of Williams that was in Milwaukee. In six seasons as a Brewer, Williams appeared in 241 games and had an ERA of just 1.83. He also had 68 saves over that time period.

While I am sure the Reds reached out to Williams, it feels like he would be out of their price range. If the Reds have true money to spend, they should focus on acquiring an outfield bat that could fit in the middle of their lineup.

You can read The Athletic's full article on Williams here.

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