Rays' Closer Wisely Seen as Potential Trade Target for Orioles This Winter

Are the Baltimore Orioles a good potential trade partner for Pete Fairbanks?

Jul 4, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the Baltimore Orioles 4th of July hat in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays are getting set for an important offseason with new ownership and a lot of optimism surrounding the franchise. However, they could look to make a couple of trades in order to restock their farm system and move some players nearing the end of their contracts. 

It might not have been the campaign that the team envisioned in 2025 after their strong start to the season. The Rays ended up finishing under .500 in 2025 but certainly feel like a team heading into 2026 that could be much improved. Getting some of their younger players to continue to develop along with making an improvement or two could propel them right back in the American League playoff picture. 

However, while the team does have a good amount of talent, they do have a couple of players who could be traded this winter who are near the end of their contracts. This is a common practice for the franchise and one that has resulted in a lot of success. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about a prime target for the Baltimore Orioles this offseason being relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks. 

Fairbanks Makes Sense for Orioles

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Like the Rays, Baltimore was the other team from the AL East who didn’t make the playoffs in 2025. The Orioles came into the year with some high expectations, but injuries and poor pitching resulted in them getting off to a terrible start, and they were never able to bounce back. 

As the team heads into 2026, they will also be a prime candidate to bounce back and potentially make the playoffs. They were a much better team in the second half of the year and were big-time sellers at the trade deadline. The Orioles will have some holes to fill this winter after dealing most of their veterans, and one area that needs some help is in their bullpen. 

Former All-Star closer Felix Bautista is once-again injured and will miss the entire 2026 campaign, leaving a major void in the back-end of the unit. Adding Fairbanks would make a lot of sense for Baltimore and these two recently made a trade over the summer that sent Bryan Baker to Tampa Bay. 

While divisional trades aren’t the most common, this could make sense for both sides. The Orioles were able to recently restock their farm system and should have a plethora of potential prospects to move this winter to improve the team.