Rays predicted to sign $4.3 million 2.30 ERA veteran reliever to replace Pete Fairbanks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Tampa Bay Rays have had a decent offseason this year, and overall have made a team that could contend in 2026. However, they still haven’t addressed one thing: getting a replacement for Pete Fairbanks.
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Fansided’s Christopher Kline predicts the Rays will find their replacement in veteran lefty Danny Coulombe, who had a great 2025.
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“The Rays need more high-leverage bullets after losing Pete Fairbanks to free agency. Tampa has needs more lefties in the pen. Enter Danny Coulombe, who’ll probably settle for a cheap one-year deal at this point. He put up a 2.30 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 43.0 innings last season, split between Minnesota and Texas. Coulombe works almost exclusively in the low-80s to low-90s range at this point in his career, but the cutter is an effective setup pitch and he has a knack for deception. At 36, the wheels will come off soon, but despite the somewhat limited scope of his impact, Coulombe has been very good for a while now. He can bring necessary balance to the Tampa bullpen with minimal downside risk,” Kline wrote.
This past season, Coulombe posted a 2.30 ERA, 43 Ks, a WHIP of 1.163, and two saves in 55 games. He could make for a solid closer, or a great set-up man for the Rays, and would be an overall great replacement for Fairbanks.
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He’d also be cost-effective, too. Coulombe’s projected to receive a one-year, $4.3 million deal, and for a mid-market team like Tampa Bay, that’s perfect.
Hopefully, the Rays get him on their roster ASAP; otherwise, another contender could snatch him up before Opening Day.
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