Holiday bargain shoppers alert: right-hander Pete Fairbanks may not be available for much longer.
Fairbanks, whose $11 million player option ($1 million buyout) was declined by the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of last month’s non-tender deadline, has garnered interest from several post-season contenders this off-season, including the Toronto Blue Jays, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo report.
That should come as no surprise, considering the Blue Jays had been connected to all three of Ryan Helsley, Raisel Iglesias and Phil Maton before they inked free-agent contracts. They’ve been among the most aggressive clubs thus far as they pursue high-leverage reliever options for next season.
As a result, the organization has also reportedly survived the top of the free-agent reliever market, featuring the likes of Edwin Díaz (who’s tied to a qualifying offer), Robert Suarez and Devin Williams. But all three will likely command lucrative deals this winter, while Fairbanks could serve as a more affordable mid-tier signing.
The Marlins are another team that has been in touch with Fairbanks’ representatives, according to Rosenthal and Woo’s report, which also suggested the 31-year-old righty could be the next marquee reliever to fly off the board. Peter Bendix, Miami’s president of baseball operations, has a prior connection with Fairbanks, having served as Tampa Bay’s general manager from 2021-23 and worked in the organization since ’09.
Fairbanks proved to be a workhorse for the Rays last season, logging career-highs in appearances (61) and innings pitched (60.1), while converting 27 saves (another career-high) in 32 opportunities. He also pitched to a 2.83 ERA and 3.63 FIP, inducing a 16.8 per cent strikeout-minus-walk rate (K-BB%).
Tampa Bay’s full-time closer from the last three seasons, the hard-throwing righty primarily relies on his top-two offerings — a high-90s four-seamer, whose average velocity (97.3 m.p.h.) placed in the 90th percentile of the majors in ’25, and a mid-80s slider that’s produced at least a 30-per-cent whiff rate in three of the previous four campaigns.
Given Fairbanks’ prior closing experience, he’d offer the Blue Jays another ninth-inning option next season to go along with current closer Jeff Hoffman, as well as primary setup relievers Yimi García and Louis Varland.