Reds’ Eugenio Suarez, Emilio Pagan among players heading to free agency after contract decisions

© Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesReds’ Eugenio Suarez, Emilio Pagan among players heading to free agency after contract decisions appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Cincinnati Reds’ offseason is officially underway, and Eugenio Suarez and Emilio Pagan are both heading to free agency after a flurry of contract decisions.Pagan declined his $10 million player option for 2027, while the Reds declined their end of the mutual options on Suarez and reliever Pierce Johnson, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer.Pagan’s decision comes as little surprise. The closer re-signed with Cincinnati on a two-year, $20 million deal last December that gave him the right to opt out after the 2026 season. He now gets another chance to test the market after a bounce-back finish to his year.Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)The 35-year-old got off to a rough start, posting a 6.43 ERA through his first 14 appearances before being carted off the field with a left hamstring injury against the Chicago Cubs in early May. The injury sidelined him for about two months, but he was dominant after returning. From July 1 to Sept. 24, he posted a 1.88 ERA with 34 strikeouts and just five walks in 28 2/3 innings. Pagan converted his first 17 save opportunities after the All-Star break and finished the season with a 3.38 ERA.That came on the heels of a career year in 2025, when he went 2-4 with a 2.88 ERA and a career-high 32 saves.Suarez’s return to Cincinnati, meanwhile, did not go as planned. The Reds brought back the slugger on a one-year, $15 million contract with a mutual option in February after he blasted 49 home runs between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners in 2025.Suarez still showed off his power, hitting 26 home runs with 74 RBIs, but he batted just .212 and missed about a month with a left oblique injury. The Reds even placed him on outright waivers in August, and he went unclaimed.Johnson, who signed a one-year deal with a mutual option in January after his time with the Atlanta Braves, struggled to a 4.62 ERA in 48 2/3 innings in his lone season with the Reds.The moves cap a disappointing campaign for Cincinnati. After reaching the postseason in 2025, the Reds went 75-87 and finished last in the National League Central.With Pagan, Suarez and Johnson all off the books, Terry Francona’s club has some financial flexibility as it looks to retool its roster ahead of 2027.