The Tampa Bay Rays certainly have pieces to dangle in front of hungry contenders. Which contender (or any team) doesn’t need more bullpen help? Well, the Rays have a closer that should interest plenty of teams. As the club continues to stumble, they may trade one of these bullpen pieces to a team they are directly competing with in the AL Wild Card race. Is it worth it to pull the trigger on such a trade?
Report: Rays Have Discussed Their Star Closer With Surging AL Team
Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports that the Texas Rangers have had at least “at least preliminary” conversations surrounding Rays closer Pete Fairbanks. That reporting dovetails with the Rangers’ interest in bullpen upgrades and seems to indicate that Fairbanks is highly coveted in the market.
Rangers trade deadline chatter: More of what I’m hearing at this moment. Now entering the chat – Tampa Bay.https://t.co/zhqaBZY57p
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) July 29, 2025
Rangers Hungry For Fairbanks
The Texas Rangers are riding a hot stretch. They are 27-18 since June 6 and scoring runs at a pace they were always capable of. Between a stout offense and elite pitching staff, the ingredients are present for a turnaround. The Texas bullpen isn’t bad on the whole, but they are missing a closer. MLB insiders have identified as much and noted the missing element for Texas is the back end of the bullpen. The Rangers farm system is not highly regarded and that will make it hard to match up in a trade.
However, the Rangers have one of the more aggressive front offices led by former pitcher Chris Young. Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote a few months ago how they could shake up the trade deadline if they chose to sell. Sherman wrote, “…and its head of baseball operations, Chris Young, is not patient.”
Fairbanks Is Having A Good Season
Fairbanks is 4-3 with a 2.75 ERA and 18 saves in 39.1 innings with the Rays this year. Originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the 2015 MLB draft, Fairbanks barely pitched for Rangers before he was shipped to Tampa.
One would think there are plenty of teams that would be interested in Fairbanks’ services. This is why the Rays must set a high price for his services, similar to the approach they must take with Yandy Diaz trade proposals. There are teams that need a solid bullpen in order to win the World Series. Fairbanks will help because he has a 97.3 mph fastball, which places him in the 91st percentile. The rest of his Baseball Savant page is flashing plenty of red. His 3.05 xERA is in the 84th percentile, and his 2.6 barrel% is in the 100th percentile. At 31 years old, it’s entirely understandable why contenders are salivating at the prospect of acquiring this rental closer.
Should The Rays Really Move This Guy?
This season is proving that the Rays need more bullpen help. Trading away another member of that unit may only exacerbate the problem. However, if the team won’t be competing for a playoff spot, the time is now to cash in on a lucrative bullpen piece. The price for this guy should be through the roof, given the amount of demand in the market.
The Rays can replace the innings that Fairbanks would be handling. The Bryan Baker acquisition is still in the early stages, and the former Oriole could be a strong candidate to assume closing duties. Baker currently has an 11.57 ERA in 5 games as a Ray. Maybe Edwin Uceta is an option to close games. In any event, the Rays need to ensure they aren’t selling themselves short. A closer due to a prorated portion of $3.8 million is an amazing proposition for anybody to get their hands on.
Main Photo Credits: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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