With the final four teams set in the MLB Postseason, the offseason planning for the Tampa Bay Rays has already begun. This was a team that was a contender for a little while in the first half of the year but ultimately finished under .500 in 2025. 

Despite the campaign not going according to plan, this is a team that will be seeking to be a contender once again in 2026 after missing the playoffs the last two years. There is certainly reason to believe that the Rays can achieve this goal. 

With new ownership taking over, the hope is that the team will start to be active in free agency and that could start as soon as this winter. Considering how successful the organization has been with such a low payroll, a little bit of spending could do wonders. 

However, even if the team does start to spend, they will likely keep their principles that have resulted in so much success. The Rays very rarely let a player walk in free agency for nothing, often trading them with time left on their contract. They have a few players who that applies to this winter and some of them have been key pieces. One player who could be on the trading block this winter is relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks. 

Fairbanks Hitting Milestones