One Team Reportedly Aggressively Pursuing Rays' Free Agent Pete Fairbanks

A team is reportedly very interested in Tampa Bay Rays' closer Pete Fairbanks this offseason.

Sep 17, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks (29) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays are continuing to roll along this offseason, but one of their rare free agents has become a highly sought-after player on the open market. 

It has been a busy winter for the Rays, as expected, with the team trying to make some improvements heading into 2026. This is a franchise that believes that they were better than their record indicated last year, and with a few tweaks, could be a contender for a playoff spot. 

So far, Tampa Bay has started up that process. With a need to improve offensively in the outfield, the team signed Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley to help in that area. Furthermore, the team also signed Steven Matz, who could be going back to being a starter following a strong year out of the bullpen. 

While the team has made some additions, they also lost a key player this winter in Pete Fairbanks. With a high number on his team option, the franchise elected to decline it, sending him to free agency. Now, he has been regarded as one of the best relief pitchers on the market, and Tampa Bay may have made a mistake declining that option. 

Mark Feinsand recently reported that several teams are interested in the Rays’ free agent closer, but that one team is aggressively pursuing him. 

One Team in Hot Pursuit of Fairbanks

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

While there is never a guarantee that the team would have been able to trade him in a timely manner, it seems, based on his interest as a free agent, that the wrong decision was made. The relief pitcher market has been extremely hot, with pitchers of the same caliber as Fairbanks getting significant multi-year deals. 

Now, with a lot of the top options off the board, Fairbanks has emerged as the top remaining choice at closer. This will undoubtedly give him some nice leverage in negotiations, and there are still teams out there that could use his services. 

With multiple suitors and one team that is reportedly aggressively pursuing him, it will be interesting to see where Fairbanks lands and, potentially, also in what type of role. Even though he has been a good closer with Tampa Bay, an elite contender with a strong closer in place could elect to use him as a high-leverage relief pitcher. Good bullpen arms are always extremely valuable, and Fairbanks will be an impact signing for whoever lands him.