Chicago Cubs' Interest In Free Agent Closer Adds Clarity To Bullpen Plan

The Chicago Cubs made waves when they signed veteran reliever Phil Maton to a two-year, $14.5 million contract in November.

While Maton has proved to be a quality bullpen piece, there were some questions about whether the Cubs' front office was going to search for another late-inning reliever or instead be content with adding Maton and keeping Daniel Palencia as the club's closer heading into the 2026 season.

There's no doubt that more free agency additions are coming when it comes to the Cubs' relief corps. This is because they lost many relievers to free agency this offseason and have a depleted staff as a result.

Therefore, the question is what sort of arms Chicago will pursue this winter. Will they add multiple middle-inning guys or swing big and try to acquire one of the top closers who are available on the market?

It's safe to assume that Edwin Diaz, who is the top free agent available, was out of Chicago's price range, as he was expected to fetch between $90-$100 million this winter. And that no longer matters, as Diaz signed with the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on December 9.

But there are several other appealing options that Jed Hoyer might set his sights on to cement the Cubs' bullpen as a strength rather than a liability.

One of these options is former Tampa Bay Rays closer, Pete Fairbanks.

Cubs Keeping Tabs On Pete Fairbanks In Free Agency

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks (29) celebrates on September 13, 2025 — Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Fairbanks became an unrestricted free agent this offseason after the Tampa Bay Rays declined his team options for the 2026 season earlier this offseason. Fairbanks has been with the Rays since the 2019 season and is coming off an extremely solid 2025 season, where he produced a 2.83 ERA and secured 27 saves in 32 opportunities (he made 61 appearances overall).

In a December 9 article, The Athletic's Cubs insider Sahadev Sharma asserted that the Cubs have "kept tabs on" Fairbanks throughout free agency.

Regardless of whether Chicago ends up signing Fairbanks, the fact that they're still interested in signing him shows that the Cubs would prefer to add another guy who could save games for them next season, thus adding more clarity to their bullpen plans.

The Cubs have a tendency to target pitchers who can "cut" their fastball—Peter Fairbanks seems like a clear-cut favorite of them.

Fairbanks's fastball cutting movement is in the 99th percentile, with induced vertical break in the 75th percentile, and velocity 97-99 MPH. pic.twitter.com/Y9AFNMtJU5
— Brendan Miller (@brendan_cubs) December 5, 2025

With Edwin Diaz now off the market, the rest of the top reliever dominoes will likely fall in the coming weeks, which means Chicago's front office will need to act fast if they want to secure Fairbanks, Robert Suarez, or another potential closer before they get swooped up by another team.

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