MLB Insider and former Cincinnati Reds GM Jim Bowden released his top 50 free agents and their likely landing spots this morning on an article at the NY Times (Formerly The Athletic) Subscribe to our Newsletter by using the popup or the form below!
Bowden primarily linked the Reds to relief pitchers (yawn) considering the state the team is in financially, however, they weren’t linked to any low quality arms by any means. I’ll detail who Bowden believes the Reds could be interested in here.
Devin Williams – RHP RP
Jim Bowden listed the old foe as one of the best fits for the Cincinnati Reds in his article today. He is predicting a 1 year $10,000,000 deal for Williams, which fits the Reds’ financial situation quite well. Not to mention, there’s some history with Derek Johnson, the Reds pitching coach.
Anyone that has followed me for a long time knows what I’ve said about Devin Williams, I’m just going to go ahead and leave it there. Ha ha ha. Let’s just say, I wasn’t wrong, I was just really early. No, I kid, I kid. It was definitely a backhanded compliment, and I’d love to see the Reds take a chance on Williams.
Devin Williams, the hard-throwing right-hander who joined the New York Yankees midway through the 2025 MLB season, delivered a mixed bag of results in 67 relief appearances. Posting a 4-6 record with a 4.79 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 58.1 innings, Williams tallied 90 strikeouts while securing 18 saves, ranking 23rd in the league. Despite a career-worst ERA that reflected some control issues and a higher hard-hit rate of 35.7%, his signature “Airbender” changeup remained a weapon, helping stabilize late-inning situations as the Yankees pushed deep into the playoffs
Nick Martinez – RHP RP
Look, I know this one may be a little puzzling, but I agree with Bowden. I think that Martinez, when he isn’t…making $21,000,000 annually and handcuffing the Reds, has some serious, serious upside value. No, he’s not elite – but he’s available, and that’s one hell of a trait. Not to mention, the guys in the clubhouse absolutely love him. I’m pretty much banking on the Reds bringing him back. Bowden has him making $12,000,000 annually, which I could see the Reds paying.
There’s some serious, serious value in being a swing man in today’s game, and the Reds have proven to be one of the teams to take advantage of that role Year over Year with the injuries they’ve managed to the starting staff. Having Martinez in the back end of the rotation, even as a solid 5th, works for me. There’s bound to be injuries in the rotation and it’s looking to be a little younger next season…Martinez coming back is a good fit. I think the Reds will offer him 2 years/$16M with a 3rd year option with a $3M buyout. Martinez likely retires a Red.
Emilio Pagan – RHP RP
Emilio Pagán enjoyed a breakout season in 2025 with the Reds, comfortably establishing himself as the club’s go to closer. He recorded 32 saves while posting a strong 2.88 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP over 68.2 innings pitched. He earned every single dollar on his contract this past season.
His advanced metrics were also impressive: opponents managed just a .192 batting average when facing him, and his Statcast data showed a barrel-rate of only 8.4 % and a wOBA of .262. In short, Pagán’s 2025 campaign was a major win for the Reds’ bullpen: he provided borderline elite late-game stability, converted a career high in saves, and helped solidify Cincinnati’s status as a more competitive team heading into the postseason alongside Tony Santillan.
As for coming back, I’m not really sure that the Reds will bring him back for the money he’s going to earn in Free Agency. He’s likely found himself an additional $10-12M. He’s currently predicted to ink for 3 years/$26M which personally… I think he’d be pretty worth that, I just don’t know if the Reds feel the same. One thing’s for certain, he’s made it VERY clear he wants to remain in Cincinnati.
Raisel Iglesias – RHP RP
Raisel Iglesias began his major-league career with the Cincinnati Reds, debuting on April 12, 2015 after signing a seven-year deal with the club in 2014 on the international market. Over his Reds tenure (2015–2020), he made 274 appearances, notched 106 saves, struck out 479 batters and posted a 3.15 ERA. He evolved from a rotation option into a reliable late-inning arm for Cincinnati, with his best stretch arguably in 2016-18 when he posted ERAs in the 2.4–2.5 range and nailed down a lot of Reds games for some pretty bad teams before he was ultimately…salary moved.
In the 2025 season, now with the Atlanta Braves, he appeared in 70 games, recording 29 saves, a 3.21 ERA, 73 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.00 over 67.1 innings. While the numbers indicate solid performance, they reflect a slight step back from his elite peak years—but still show him as a dependable high-leverage reliever. His time with the Reds, in particular, laid the foundation for that role, establishing him as one of the more consistent closers of his era. Fast forward to 2025, perhaps a little different, but still very much serviceable. He is predicted to earn about $8M in free agency annually, well in the Reds range, assuming the relationship isn’t damaged.
Bowden Didn’t Link Any Bats
We all acknowledge that we need some more bats. Bowden must believe that they’ll obtain those on the trade market, because he didn’t link a single free agent bat to the Reds today in his article. We all know they need a few, so we’ll see how they obtain them…
