While most of the top free agent relievers are off the board, former Rays closer Pete Fairbanks remains unsigned. The Diamondbacks, Marlins and White Sox are among the teams that have been linked to the hard-throwing righty.
The connection with Miami has come up on a few occasions. The Marlins are looking for a high-leverage reliever. Fairbanks has ties to president of baseball operations Peter Bendix from their time in Tampa Bay. In an appearance on Foul Territory this week, Izaac Azout of Fish On First suggested that Miami has shown a willingness to offer a one-year deal in “the mid-teens” range and floated the possibility that Miami could make a $13-14MM proposal.
Tampa Bay could have retained Fairbanks on an $11MM club option. While it’s understandable the front office didn’t want to commit a sizable portion of their budget to a single inning reliever, it was more surprising that the Rays were unable to drum up trade interest. It should work out better for Fairbanks financially. He collected a $1MM buyout and seems well positioned to beat the $10MM difference. ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote on Thursday that Fairbanks was trending towards either a multi-year deal or a one-year contract worth more than $11MM.
While it’d seem counterintuitive for teams to pay more than the declined option price, that occasionally happens. Option calls are due within the first five days of the offseason. Teams may have preferred to maintain payroll flexibility until they had a better read on the market. Fairbanks was clearly behind the likes of Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams and Robert Suarez.
Clubs that missed out on those relievers — including Miami, who reportedly had shown interest in Williams — could more highly value Fairbanks now than they did six weeks ago. It’s also possible that they stretch to a two-year deal at a sub-$11MM annual rate to save some money in 2026 while giving the pitcher a larger overall guarantee.
The Cubs are another team that makes sense for Fairbanks on paper. They have added Phil Maton and Hoby Milner while re-signing Caleb Thielbar, but they lost arguably their best reliever when Brad Keller signed a $22MM contract with Philadelphia. Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic wrote earlier this week that the Cubs remain open to adding a clearer high-leverage arm. They’ve given some consideration to Fairbanks, per the report, though it’s not clear how seriously they’re involved.
Chicago has shied away from significant bullpen investments over the past few seasons. Their two-year, $14.5MM contract with Maton was already their biggest reliever signing in six years. Fairbanks would cost more than $7.25MM annually but will be looking at a short-term deal as he enters his age-32 season.
So Fairbanks is headed to the desert?
Too bad there’s no franchise in Alaska. He would be a slam dunk perfect fit. 🤣
How do Juneau that?
You win the Internet today!
He has a condition where his pitching hand goes numb in the cold. He is probably going to flordia to pitch.
Wondered why Fairbanks is not a Tiger target. Did not know about his malady, He could not play in that environment.
In Detroit there can be thick sheets of ice in the ballpark’s shaded cement areas on Opening Day and occasional April games.
Sideways freezing rain peppers the hardy fans who number in the low hundreds on such days.
Fairbanks could not feel the ball. Disaster would ensue. The game story would write itself:
Beat by sleet, athlete Pete in defeat cleat-beat a fleet, bittersweet retreat back to his obsolete seat.
sergefunction: The Tigers have already signed Jensen and Finnegan. Fairbanks wouldn’t be a priority for them anyway.
I didn’t know that. Now it makes sense why the Mets weren’t in on him. I thought they just straight up didn’t like him for some reason lol.
Chrome 8550: You have a link to prove that?
Strikes me as internet BS. Even if he plays for a Florida team, he would make roughly half of his appearances on the road and thus pitch in colder weather no matter what.
So unless he would only pitch in home games, he wouldn’t be able to play in MLB, which he obviously is.
There’s no place like Nome.
The Yankees absolutely need to be in the mix for this player—especially after losing Weaver, Leiter, and Williams this offseason. Filling that gap is critical if they want to stay competitive.
Yeah I have Pete to the Yanks. Not sure sure if it’ll happen, but it makes sense. AL East guy already. He’d be great in the 8th inning and closer when needed.
It kinda depends if Cashman felt like he already had replaced Williams and Weaver with Bednar and Doval at the deadline and isn’t looking for a bigger add in that department. I mean I kinda get it, both are closer types already. He will add a couple of someones it just feels like that’s the thought process right now.
Salzilla: Duh. Every Yankees fan has every big FA to the Yanks.
But newsflash – it’s not 1980 anymore and Big Stein is dead.
I have him to the Yanks because it makes sense? Dude has AL East experience? I try to place the guys that feel gettable. I know exactly who we are and what we do, and we’re still one of the top spending teams.
Hey Cubbies how does a low investment, high upside (100 mph) fireballer sound??? Sounds too good to be true, huh? [Psssst. …secret squirrel says….psst Ryne Stanek…plus he has rock n roll hair…]
If I am the Braves I sign him instead of a 4th starter that will cost the same amount. They would have 2 closers available every day, make every day a 7 inning game and be ready for the playoffs with that bullpen
Adj1970, I’ve never thought of having basically 3 closers on a team, I love it
Cubs should be in this is a no brainer..7 mill is nothing for a guy with his skill set and would be the perfect set up guy for palencia
He’s going to get notably more than $7M.
probably $11m+, but yes, Cubs should be in on him.
maybe a 2/$21m
Tom Ricketts should stand outside the next owner’s meeting with a shoe shine box and a tip jar.
If the Cubs were inclined to spend on relief, they would’ve kept Kittridge.
Orioles on a 2 yr deal
White Sox, haha, funny
Jays have added a high leverage arm already in Rogers, but I still don’t I would feel great with Hoffman being my 9th inning guy in 2026 if I’m Toronto. Fairbanks would let Hoffy get back to a 7th/8th inning roll, which is where he performed best.
For the love of God Blue Jays, sign Fairbanks or make anybody elae closer. Dont go with Hoffman as closer again. ERA north of 4, gave up 15 Homer’s during the season. Blew game 7 of the World Series.
Ross Atkin’s, admit your mistake and fix it.
Dbacks better hurry up ….
Texas has a hole…in its pocket.
Twins need to grab this MN’er if they’re serious about doing anything next year!
But they’re not so they don’t.
Cubs would be making huge mistake by handing palencia primary closer job without virtually any competition especially what he has shown us over last half of season when he was so up and down!
Cute how a couple of Cubs fans are delusional enough to think old Tommy Knickles is finally gonna open up his little o’ billionaire clutchpurse and actually sign someone other than a middling mid relief Bullpen arm. He lives to dig in the dumpsters. He wouldn’t even bring back Keller at 11 million per. So close to the World Series and now isn’t even gonna make an offer for Tucker,a TOR starter or a closer, of which there was a plethora. Fans buy his bs every year that this is the year they swim in the deep waters and snag a big fish. Over 5 billion in the bank and all he wants to do is position the team for an ostensible sale. All the contracts end after 26. Sale the team fat boy. You and your lapdog Hoyer need shot into the sun. Third largest market and pushing for the bottom in monies allocated back into the on field product. Pathetic. SALE THE TEAM
Jed is rickets boy saying that is why he tore up his old contract and gave him new one with more years and why Jed’s own assistant stupidly says that 2033 is the year.
There we go cubs fans, with what hoyer said in the newspapers, they’ll go with conservative spending approach which means continuing to go cheap. It means no imai or a Bregman. So continue to dream away cubs fans because your hoyer is not about to change.
And before winter turns to spring and like previous years, super agent Borios will give his annual state of the union telling the baseball world that the cubbies continue to behave like little sisters of the poor!
I’m sure that Bruce Sherman pointed out to Bendix that some of the remaining teams in the Fairbanks market are spending conservatively, so maybe we should see if we can get him for free.
I’m sure when that was pointed out, someone in the room pointed out to Sherman that it’s not a good idea considering the franchise is about to be tagged by MLBPA for not spending, and it’s going to get rough for Sherman now that Jorge Mas’ team won a championship with the star he spent a nice salary on while Sherman spends nothing in a sport that generates far more money than MLS. Someone has got to be pointing out how that makes Sherman look considering the questionable practices of Loria and MLB that led Sherman (worth $550 million) into ownership over Mas (worth $3.3 billion).