Morning Rundown: Reds sign reliever, Mets sign Luis Severino, Dylan Cease rumors

More pitching news from around the league.

Up to this point in the offseason, it had been the St. Louis Cardinals who had been heavily invested in the pitching free-agent market among NL Central teams.

Add the Cincinnati Reds to the mix, as they inked reliever Emilio Pagan to a two-year deal worth $16 million.

Pagan, 32, spent the last two years with the Minnesota Twins and was with the San Diego Padres before that. In 2023, he posted a 2.99 ERA in 69.1 innings pitched, picking up 65 strikeouts and walking 21.

His main two pitches are his fastball and cutter, both of which had a +7 Run-Value on Baseball Savant, and while his splitter was a negative RV, it also generated a whiff rate of over 40%.

The $16 million contract makes Pagan the highest-paid player on the Reds currently.

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Another free agent starting pitcher is off the market, as the New York Mets signed Luis Severino to a one-year contract worth $13 million.

Severino, 29, had spent his entire career with the New York Yankees before signing with the Mets. He had a solid 2022 season that saw him pick up seven wins and post a 3.18 ERA (3.38 xFIP) before falling off this past year. In 19 games played, Severino posted a 6.65 ERA (4.83 xFIP).

He will join a rotation that also includes Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana as Severino will try to rebuild his value so that he can free agency next offseason.

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The trade market looks like it’s on the verge of opening up, as talks have been heating up on Dylan Cease, with the Atlanta Braves one of the front runners.

According to Jon Morosi, a deal could be done before the Winter Meetings begin.

Cease had a bit of a down season but has consistently been among one of the league’s best pitchers in recent years.

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Every Monday during the offseason, we will be doing a mailbag article. You can send your questions to bucsondeckqa@gmail.com or leave a comment with ‘mailbag’ written in it. The email would be easier to track, but you can comment, and I will add it to the list.

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