Rays Former Closer Pete Fairbanks Has Reportedly Been in Talks With NL Contender

A National League contender is showing interest in former Tampa Bay Rays closer, Pete Fairbanks.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays surprised a lot of people when they decided to decline the club option they possessed on closer Pete Fairbanks for the 2026 season.

Instead of exercising it and paying him $11 million, they opted to pay a $1 million buyout instead, making him a free agent. Viewed as one of the best trade chips that could be available this winter, it was eyebrow-raising that the Rays passed on that opportunity.

However, it turns out that Fairbanks’s trade value wasn’t too high. The team did some work seeing if there would be interest in acquiring him, but no franchises were willing to pay that amount of money early in the offseason.

Not wanting to get saddled with an $11 million salary on their books for a closer, Tampa Bay decided the best route was to decline the option and pay the buyout.

Now a free agent, the interest in Fairbanks is very high. Contending teams are expected to line up for his services, given his consistent track record at the back end of the Rays’ bullpen the last few years.

Mets reportedly has had talks with Pete Fairbanks

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

One team that has reportedly been in talks with him already is the New York Mets. 

Mark. W. Sanchez of the New York Post has shared that the Mets have been in talks with Fairbanks and former San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez. They have also been in contact with former New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams.

The National League East contenders could be in the market for a new closer, with their star, Edwin Diaz, also a free agent. Their bullpen needs several reinforcements, with Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley and Gregory Soto all free agents as well.

Fairbanks presents an intriguing option for a New York squad that has several holes to address on their roster. His next contract is projected to be much more affordable than his peers.

Pete Fairbanks has been consistently productive

Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

While not an All-Star or award winner like Diaz, Suarez and Williams have been in their careers, the veteran righty has been excellent in his own right.

Fairbanks is coming off arguably the best season of his career. He was able to stay healthy, appearing in 61 games and throwing 60.1 innings. Both of those are career highs, along with the 27 saves he recorded. He had a 2.83 ERA, 145 ERA+ and 59 strikeouts.

His strikeout rate has been suspiciously low the last two seasons at 8.7 and 8.8 in 2024 and 2025, respectively, which could raise some red flags for teams. But it hasn’t stopped him from being productive, and he has lowered his walk rate in those campaigns.

With an established track record of success, Fairbanks would make a lot of sense for a lot of teams. While the Mets have reportedly talked to him, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays are teams that have been mentioned as potential suitors as well.