The Tampa Bay Rays are getting ready to prepare for the winter meetings, and things will likely start to heat up. 

As the offseason starts, the Rays are going to be an interesting team to keep an eye on for a couple of reasons. Tampa Bay is a franchise that could go in a couple of different directions this winter, with veterans who appear to be potential trade candidates, but also a desire to compete in 2026. 

The Rays are a team that could very well look to add and subtract this winter to reshape some things. While that practice is uncommon, the small payroll of Tampa Bay sometimes dictates those decisions. 

So far this winter, they have already made one decision to save some money, and that was to not pick up the team options on closer Pete Fairbanks. While the right-hander was set to make north of $10 million, he has been an effective closer for the team for the last three years. Now, he is a free agent and has several potential suitors. 

Jon Morosi recently wrote about the Detroit Tigers emerging as a potential suitor for Fairbanks in free agency. 

Fairbanks’ Suitors Continues to Grow

The Marlins and Tigers are interested in Pete Fairbanks, as I mentioned here following the Devin Williams agreement. https://t.co/xNOgfiH06q

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 2, 2025

In the last couple of days, the closer market has really started to move, starting with Ryan Helsley signing with the Baltimore Orioles. Just recently, that was followed up by the New York Mets signing Devin Williams to a three-year, $45 million deal. 

Of those two pitchers, Fairbanks’ value figures to be closer to the two-year, $28 million deal that Helsley received from the Orioles. While both Williams and Helsley have had some elite campaigns, both are coming off down seasons. For Fairbanks, a big selling point for him will be his consistency in recent years.

While the Miami Marlins have been linked to him previously, in addition to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Detroit Tigers getting involved is a new development. The Tigers are seeking to win now with Tarik Skubal entering potentially his last campaign with the ball club before heading to free agency. 

The bullpen took a step backward for the team in 2025, and they tried to address it at the trade deadline. With free agency now here, Fairbanks makes a lot of sense for a team that could use a high-leverage option at the back of the unit. Fairbanks would come at a somewhat affordable number for the Tigers and could be a significant upgrade for them. 

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