Pete Fairbanks Drawing Interest From National League West Squad in Free Agency

A National League West team is reportedly showing some interest in former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks.

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The Tampa Bay Rays surprised a lot of people when they decided to decline the club option on closer Pete Fairbanks, worth $11 million, and opted to instead pay a $1 million buyout, making him a free agent.

The veteran righty was considered by many people as one of the best trade chips in baseball heading into the winter. It was assumed that contending teams in need of backend bullpen help would line up to acquire him.

Alas, that was not the case. The Rays canvassed the league, but came to realize teams weren’t willing to spend that kind of money on a relief pitcher so early in the offseason.

Instead of potentially being saddled with that contract, Tampa Bay opted to move in a different direction. 

Diamondbacks emerging as suitor for Pete Fairbanks

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Now that Fairbanks is a free agent, his market is robust. He has been linked to a number of teams already, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. Another National League squad can now be added to the list: the Arizona Diamondbacks.

According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, the Diamondbacks have been in discussions with the closer already this offseason.

The team’s general manager, Mike Hazen, has shared that upgrading the team’s bullpen is a priority this offseason. Fairbanks would be a great addition to the team as one of the most consistent late-game options in the MLB over the last few years.

Since becoming a full-time closer the last three seasons with the Rays, he has made 156 appearances, throwing 151 innings. He has converted 75 save chances and struck out 171 batters with a stellar 2.98 ERA. 3.5 bWAR has been compiled during that stretch as well.

Injuries have plagued him at points in his career, but when he is able to get on the mound, he produces. Pitching in a warm-weather climate could do wonders for him, and Arizona would certainly fit the bill in that regard.

Fairbanks would be good fit for bullpen-needy Diamondbacks

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Adding a pitcher of Fairbanks’s caliber to the backend of their bullpen would address a major weakness for the Diamondbacks. Two players expected to fill late-inning roles, A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, both suffered elbow injuries that required Tommy John surgery.

Fairbanks would help solidify the end-of-game mix for manager Torey Lovullo, closing the gap with their NL West rivals.

With Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, Rafael Iglesias and Emilio Pagan already off the market, Fairbanks could be the next relief pitcher to see with options rapidly dwindling.

A swap of sorts could occur. Tampa Bay was mentioned as one of the teams on the radar for Arizona All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte. Could that be where some of the money saved from declining the option on Fairbanks goes? Rays fans would certainly be thrilled with that.