Padres, Dodgers Could Compete for $12 Million High-Leverage Reliever at Trade Deadline

With the trade deadline looming, the San Diego Padres are seen by the baseball world as a team that will be buying ahead of July 31.

The Friars are sitting in the final Wild Card spot ahead of the Cincinnati Reds, but they are far from satisfied as they eye a deeper October run than 2024.

A player that San Diego is reportedly targeting, however, may also be pursued by the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the reason that 2024 ended so soon.

The Athletic's Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and others linked three division rivals to Tampa Bay Rays right hander Pete Fairbanks. The Padres, Dodgers, and even Arizona Diamondbacks were listed as the best fits for the 31-year-old.

Fairbanks has a 2.84 ERA this season across 38 innings of work. He is having a better year in terms of ERA from last year, but a slightly lower strikeout rate.

When it comes to not allowing quality contact, Fairbanks is one of the best in baseball. He does so with an average fastball velocity of 97.3 mph (ranking in the 91st percentile across MLB), and only allowing a barrel 2.7 percent of the time, which is in the 99th percentile across the majors.

Although his fastball has one of the highest average speeds in baseball, his slider has proven to be a devastating offering this season.

Batters have just a .137 batting average against Fairbanks' slider, with a swing-and-miss rate of 27.7 percent, the best in his three-pitch arsenal.

Another area that Fairbanks excels in is getting ground balls. The right-hander does so 48.6 percent of the time, good for the 79th percentile across baseball.

As for the potential price if a deal were to arise, Fairbanks has one more season of team control, something that would demand a larger return for the Rays versus an expiring deal. If the reliever can be had without giving up too much, San Diego could have another valuable piece to add to an elite bullpen to hopefully help carry them through October.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.