ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays Could Benefit From Targeting Veteran Reliever

The defending American League pennant winners, the Toronto Blue Jays, are coming off the best postseason run in the last 32 years of franchise history.

Toronto came just one run shy of a third-ever World Series championship but finished one run shy in a 5-4 extra-inning loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Since the Blue Jays’ heartbreaking end to their incredible year, they’ve been hard at work to add to the team. Those moves have included free agent additions to the starting rotation (Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce) and the bullpen (Tyler Rogers).

Toronto also is rumored in the mix for infielders Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette and outfielder Kyle Tucker.

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The Blue Jays have many All-Star quality irons in the fire. Recent additions have made the pitching staff one of the best in baseball. However, there’s still a solid arm on the open market that Toronto can and should pursue: right-handed closer Pete Fairbanks.

According to a recent story from Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins have been linked to the right-hander. Toronto should throw its hat in the fire.

Fairbanks is in free agency after spending parts of seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2019-25.

Fairbanks was one of the most effective closers in the American League during his time in Florida. He posted a 2.98 ERA with 317 strikeouts in 256.2 innings pitched across 267 appearances (two starts). He had 90 saves in 108 opportunities.

This past season, the 32-year-old had a 2.83 ERA and fanned 59 batters in 60.1 innings pitched across 61 appearances. He had 27 saves in 32 opportunities. His 61 outings were the most in a single season in his career.

Depth and cost. It’s that simple.

Currently, Toronto has a solid-to-great bullpen that includes notable arms Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garcia (when healthy), Rogers, Mason Fluharty, Brendon Little and Louis Varland, among others.

Currently, the closer role is Hoffman’s and he’s coming off an up-and-down season in his first full-time year in that role. He posted a 4.37 ERA and struck out 84 batters in 68 innings pitched across 71 appearances. He had 33 saves in 40 opportunities.

Hoffman’s 71 outings, saves and save opportunities were the most in a single season in his career. His ERA also ballooned from 2.17 in ’24, where he had 10 saves in 13 opportunities and appeared in 68 games.

Toronto dealt with notable injuries to the starting rotation and bullpen alike in ’25. Having Fairbanks in the fold gives the Blue Jays depth to work around potential setbacks while also taking pressure off Hoffman’s plate.

Fairbanks could also be cheap.

According to the story from MLB Trade Rumors, Izaac Azout of Fish on First went on the Foul Territory podcast and said the Marlins are willing to offer Fairbanks a one-year deal in the mid-teens.

If that’s the going price for Fairbanks, that’s well within Toronto’s capabilities to do and it’s also a steal. Fairbanks has a market value of three years, $43.8 million ($14.6 million AAV) according to Spotrac.

Fairbanks had a taste of postseason glory in his time with the Rays.

Fairbanks, in just his second year with the organization, made it all the way to the World Series before falling to the Dodgers.

Since then, Fairbanks and Tampa Bay have tried and failed to get back to the World Series and made the playoffs from 2021-23. The Rays were stopped in the American League Divisional Series in ’21 and the Wild Card round in ’22-23.

Of the teams mentioned by Franco as potential suitors for Fairbanks, none of them are nearly as close to championship glory as the Blue Jays.

At this point in his career, Fairbanks has earned the right to play for a championship. And joining what could end up being the most stacked roster in the American League is a good way to try and secure that.

Does Toronto need Fairbanks or vice versa? No. But there’s no reason the Blue Jays can’t be greedy.

Toronto could end up with the most impressive lineup in the AL if it does bring in Tucker, Bichette or Bregman (or a combination of the trio). Adding Fairbanks could also secure the Blue Jays the most dangerous bullpen in the AL and, in a division that includes sluggers such as Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso and Jarren Duran, among others, that could be what secures the club another amazing postseason run.

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ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays Could Benefit From Targeting Veteran Reliever

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