Emilio Pagán’s Tigers' signing reinforced Guardians’ huge Cade Smith advantage 

Last offseason the Detroit Tigers signed reliever Kenley Jansen to a one-year contract, $8 million in the hopes he could fortify the back end of their bullpen. 

It didn’t really work. Although Jansen had an okay 3.20 ERA, he recorded just 22 saves (his lowest number in a 162-game season since 2011) while the Tigers missed out on the postseason. 

On Tuesday, the Tigers took another spin on the reliever hamster wheel, albeit with a more expensive option, as they inked free agent reliever Emilio Pagán to a one-year, $11.5 million deal. 

While that deal is a solid signing in a vacuum, it’s also a reminder of how lucky the Guardians are to have Cade Smith working as their shutdown closer.

Emilio Pagán signing with the Tigers shouldn’t scare Guardians fans 

Again, the Pagan’s contract with the Tigers is a solid contract for a middle-class team desperately in need of pitching. Plus their early signing means that they have the peace of mind of knowing they have him locked up regardless of what happens with the newest CBA. 

But the Guardians have never had to worry about that with Smith, who has three years of team control remaining. While that kind of arbitration control is a win with any kind of young player, it’s even more of a win for the Guardians considering Smith’s coming off a season where he recorded a 1.95 ERA with an MLB-leading 41 saves. 

Those accolades helped him earn a 2nd-team All-MLB honors along with a runner-up finish for American League Reliever of the Year along with anchoring a Guardians bullpen that finished the year with the sixth-best bullpen ERA in baseball. 

Meanwhile the Tigers keep having to throw gobs of money at uninspiring free agents to put a band-aid on the ninth inning. The Tigers may have finished last year with a 3.84 ERA, but they don’t have a reliever with Smith’s ceiling 

Smith’s production is even more impressive when you consider he was thrown into the fire as closer last summer when Emmanuel Clase was placed on paid leave. Normally the loss of a player of Clase’s caliber is the kind of thing that can send a franchise spiraling, but Smith’s picked up the slack and morphed into one of the best closers in baseball. 

That production may result in Smith’s price tag going up in arbitration (projected $5.5 million price tag via arbitration), but that’s a tradeoff the Guardians will gladly take. 

There will probably be a moment or two in 2027 when Pagán picks up a save against the Guardians, but he isn’t going to elicit the same kind of fear that Smith does.

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