Rangers Inquiring About Reunion with Rays Reliever Pete Fairbanks

The Texas Rangers appear to be turning over every possible option to improve their bullpen, including a potential reunion with a former draft pick.

Per Evan Grant at The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), the Rangers have inquired about a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever Pete Fairbanks.

Fairbanks, a 31-year-old right-hander, is familiar to some long-time members of the Rangers’ amateur scouting department. He was the franchise’s ninth-round pick in the 2015 MLB draft out of Missouri.

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He made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 2019 and pitched in eight games, going 0-2 with a 9.35 ERA. Texas traded Fairbanks to Tampa Bay a month after his MLB debut for utilityman Nick Solak.

With the Rays, he’s emerged as their closer. This season he is 4-3 with a 2.75 ERA with 18 saves in 21 chances. In the last three seasons he’s saved 66 saves.

The Rangers have been a closer-by-committee this season, with seven different pitchers recording at least one save. If Texas were to acquire Fairbanks, it would undoubtedly be to give him first crack at locking down the ninth inning.

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This would give pitchers like Shawn Armstrong, Hoby Milner, Robert Garcia and Jacob Webb some, well, relief. The quartet have all pitched in at least 40 games this season. Chris Martin, who is currently on the injured list with a calf strain, has 39 appearances.

Fairbanks has 40 appearances this season and his career high is 49, set in 2023.

The Rangers, per Grant and other outlets, are not limiting their search for bullpen arms to Fairbanks.

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Texas has reportedly contacted teams about the Pittsburgh Pirates’ David Bednar and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley, both of which would fill a similar void that Fairbanks would.

Additionally, the Rangers have inquired to the Colorado Rockies about three non-closers — Jake Bird, Victor Vodnik and Tyler Kinley.

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The Rangers could opt to go in other directions when it comes to bullpen help. But Texas is clearly looking outside the organization for help, as their options are limited at the Triple-A level.

Texas is in Anaheim to take on the Los Angeles Angels through Wednesday. The Rangers will be in Seattle on Thursday when the trade deadline passes.

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