With the offseason starting to heat up for the Tampa Bay Rays, they have already begun to make some moves to shape what the roster is going to look like.
Even though the Rays have hopes of being a contender in 2026, they have some critical decisions to make. Recently, they made the surprise decision not to pick up the team option on closer Pete Fairbanks, making the talented right-hander a free agent.
This decision came as a bit of a surprise, but they likely believed that they couldn’t trade him in a timely manner or get a return worth picking up the option. Now, despite many believing he was a prime trade candidate, he is instead one of the top free agent pitchers available.
While the team might not have picked up the option for Fairbanks, they did elect to do so for their All-Star slugger. However, whether or not he will be on the team for Opening Day remains to be seen.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about Rays slugger Brandon Lowe being the most likely player that they will trade this offseason.
Lowe is a Strong Trade Candidate