So far this free agency two relievers have found new teams. Former Reds closer Emilio Pagán signed a one-year, $11.5 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. Former Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips landed a three-year, $35 million contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Those two deals speak to the market for quality, non-closer relievers. The going rate in the last offseason for such arms was in the $10-12 million range. The Pagán and Phillips deals both sit at just under $12 million per year.

The way the game is played now, it's imperative for teams to carry at least three closer-level relievers to compete. The Milwaukee Brewers showed that again by relying on the trio of Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, and Trevor Megill to get the final 12 outs of a close postseason game. That is the new meta for bullpen construction, as it's unclear where the most important outs will come from.

Because of that need, the market for relievers who can get the most important outs late in a game has increased in value.

Emilio Pagán, Evan Phillips Deals Repeat 2025 Offseason Trend

It's not surprising to see two former closers land free agent deals early in the process. Pagán had been the Reds closer the last two seasons. Phillips once had that role with the Dodgers, before injuries nearly derailed his career. Los Angeles splurged on Tanner Scott and Edwin Díaz while he recovered from Tommy John surgery.

These deals will not likely affect the top of the reliever market. Adrián Morejón and David Bednar are the two relievers who profile in the closer's tier of the market. Both pitchers should command deals north of $15 million per year. But with two late-inning arms already finding new clubs, there should be more movement in the reliever market in the next two weeks.

That tier was firmly established in last year's market. Brad Keller, Luke Weaver, Seranthony Domíguez, Tyler Rogers, and Kyle Finnegan signed in the $9.5-12.33 million per year range. The 2026-27 free agent class doesn't have as many options as last year, but the AAV numbers are pretty consistent.

Like last offseason, quality relievers were one of the first players to get snatched up in free agency. Most of the top closers and late-inning arms were off the board by Christmas. Considering the specter of a protracted lockout hanging over this offseason, a similar pattern should repeat.

Other relievers on the market who will be most affected by these two specific deals are Alex Vesia and Jonathan Loáisiga. On FanGraphs' Free Agent Tracker, the median crowd-sourced projection has Vesia landing a two-year, $16 million contract while Loáisiga gets a one-year, $6 million deal.

As the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement nears, more relievers should come to deals relatively quickly. Relievers who have previous closer experience but need to find a spot to recoup their value, such as Pete Fairbanks or Jordan Romano, will be an interesting litmus test.