Tigers Star Free Agent Bullpen Target Should Be Affordable Enough to Land
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The Detroit Tigers head into the offseason with the goal of taking the next step, and one of the ways they can do that is by rebuilding the bullpen.
While it was solid at times, ultimately there was simply not enough depth there to sustain down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs. The way president of baseball operations Scott Harris has gone about things, big splashes don't seem likely for relievers rather than high value, low-cost options while relying upon talent evaluation.
If Harris wanted to make a big move though, it could come on the open market with one of the top names out there who freshly becomes a free agent. Tampa Bay Rays star reliever Pete Fairbanks joins the group of available relievers after his team declined an $11 million club option for 2025.
For Detroit, Fairbanks could prove to be a rock solid option at a contract which would wind up being less than the option Tampa Bay turned down, and he could be exactly what the bullpen needs.
Tigers Need a Major Addition Like Fairbanks This Offseason
While Harris did add Kyle Finnegan at the trade deadline, the major acquisition in the bullpen from last offseason was Tommy Kahnle, which of course proved to be a complete and utter disaster.
Detroit cannot afford to be timid once again on the free agent reliever market, and Fairbanks should be someone they have circled in red to become the new face of their bullpen. While there have been some injury concerns in the past, the 31-year-old is coming off one of the more successful seasons of his career.
In an all-time high 60.1 innings, Fairbanks posted a 2.83 ERA and 1.044 WHIP, racking up 27 saves for an average Rays team. His strikeout numbers are nowhere near what they were a couple of years ago, but clearly he has found a way to be impactful anyway despite a lack of devastating stuff.
What Would Fairbanks Cost Tigers?
Relievers who aren't at the top of the market are rarely commanding major multi-year commitments, and Fairbanks likely would not be an exception here.
While it could end up that the veteran gets a two-year deal, a one-year feels more likely. The benchmark in terms of number has been set below $11 million, because if teams were willing to pay that, Tampa Bay would have picked it up and tried to trade Fairbanks for a significant return.
In all likelihood, it's probably a contract between $7 and $10 million, and potentially containing a club option for a second season. If Detroit does want him, they will have to take on some sort of risk, but that's nothing they aren't used to after some of the acquisitions from last year.
As things start to heat up in hot stove season and names eventually begin to come off the board, it's worth keeping an ear to the ground on someone like Fairbanks.
He could be just what the Tigers need to build a revamped bullpen around.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.