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As the New York Yankees move forward during the MLB offseason, the team now needs to figure out a solution to its bullpen issues. Veteran relief pitcher Devin Williams has left the team to sign with the rival New York Mets recently, and now this leaves the Yankees with a hole in the bullpen.
New York has been linked to a few different players already this winter, but so far, nothing has materialized. The Yankees need to shore up the bullpen this offseason, but luckily for them, there are multiple options for the team to consider.
The Yankees fell short in the postseason again, and things have started to get a little testy between the fanbase. New York hasn’t won a World Series title since the 2009 season, which is an eternity for this historic franchise.
There is a lot of pressure on general manager Brian Cashman to build out the roster this winter, and if this team underperforms again, big changes could be coming. It remains unknown how New York will attack the offseason, but something needs to change with this team heading into next season.
This is just a prediction, NOT a report!
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New York Yankees Will Sign Pete Fairbanks
As the Yankees now search for a way to replace Williams, one option could be a guy that the team knows very well. This is veteran right-hander Pete Fairbanks, who was released by the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this offseason.
The decision by the Rays to let go of Faribanks was seen as a very strange one across baseball, but Tampa Bay didn’t want to pay his option for next season. Fairbanks was owed only $11 million for the 2026 season, making the move by Tampa Bay even stranger.
However, the veteran is now free to sign with any team that he wants, and he has been a hot name on the open market. Fairbanks has been one of the better relief pitchers in baseball over the past few seasons, and he could be a steal for any club.
Last season with Tampa Bay, Fairbanks posted an ERA of 2.83 over 63 appearances for the squad. Fairbanks also posted 27 saves this season, and he has been a massive reason for the Rays’ bullpen success over the past few years.
If the Yankees were to land him, they would be getting a reliable, shut-down reliever, while also hurting a rival in the American League East. Fairbanks could be one of the better options for New York to consider, and he could easily slide into the lineup to replace Williams.