The Tampa Bay Rays have started up the offseason, and the team has already started to make some moves to shape what the roster is going to look like in 2026.
Coming into the winter, the Rays figured to be an active team both in free agency and the trade market. Despite having some good things in place, there are still needs for the team this winter that will have to be addressed.
Fortunately, none of them are overly glaring, and the team should be able to address them without having to break the bank. While the team will be looking to improve, they could also elect to move on from some veterans who will be entering the final year of their contracts.
Surprisingly, with a couple of team options on key players, the team didn’t pick up all of them and sent one of their top players to free agency. Contributors for MLB Trade Rumors recently predicted that free agent closer Pete Fairbanks would receive a two-year, $18 million deal this winter.
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It came as a bit of a shock that the team decided not to pick up the option of Fairbanks. The thought process was that the team would exercise the option and then look to trade him. However, with them electing not to do so, they clearly believed that they couldn’t move him.
That comes as a bit of a surprise considering he is going to be one of the top free agent relievers available. Furthermore, the predicted contract with it being a multi-year deal also indicates that he is going to be highly sought after this winter.
Due to his option being significant, teams might not have been willing to lock up over $10 million on him right away in the offseason. Now that him being a free agent, a team also won’t have to give up a prospect to acquire him.
The right-hander totaled 27 saves and a 2.83 ERA in 2025 and should be able to be the closer on most teams based on that production. For the Rays, they will now likely be heading back to a closer-by-committee strategy in 2026. This has been successful for them in the past, but they will miss Fairbanks.
Even though the unit has some good talent, they will likely be seeking more depth. It will be interesting to see what the market will be for Fairbanks in free agency, as it could be an indication of whether the team made the right move or not.