Tigers among teams interested in Pete Fairbanks

The relief market has been the most active element of free agency so far, with Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, Raisel Iglesias and Phil Maton among the most prominent names off the board thus far. Former Rays closer Pete Fairbanks has seen his name pop up frequently early on as well, drawing connections to the Marlins, Blue Jays and Dodgers. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi adds the Tigers to the list of clubs with interest in Fairbanks.

Tampa Bay’s decision to decline an $11MM option on Fairbanks was a moderate surprise. He’d just wrapped up his healthiest season and has been a quality ’pen arm for Rays skipper Kevin Cash dating back to 2020. Since that shortened season, the 31-year-old Fairbanks (32 in two weeks) sports a collective 2.87 ERA, 88 saves, 30 holds, 30.2% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate. That includes a 2.83 ERA and career-high 27 saves this past season (in a career-high 60 1/3 innings).

That said, Fairbanks comes with his share of red flags. Beyond turning 32 this month, he’s seen his velocity, strikeout rate and swinging-strike rate all dip in recent seasons. He’s averaged 97.3 mph on his heater in each of the past two seasons, which is still well above average but noticeably down from the pitch’s peak average of 99 mph. Fairbanks set down nearly 35% of his opponents on strikes from 2020-23 but is at 24% over the past two years. He sat 15.1% with his swinging-strike rate from 2020-22 but is down to 11.3% in 2024-25 — roughly in line with the league average.

None of these trendlines suggest that Fairbanks is suddenly a bad reliever, but he’s not quite as dominant as he once was. He’s also missed considerable time with injury over the years. Since 2021, Fairbanks has been placed on the injured list six different times. That’s been due to a pair of lat strains, shoulder inflammation, forearm inflammation, a nerve issue and hip inflammation. This past season’s 60 1/3 innings weren’t just a career-high — they marked the first time Fairbanks has completed even 46 innings in a major league season.

For a budget-crunched club like the Rays, the $11MM price point was understandably steep. Still, many expected the team to trade Fairbanks before the option decision was due. The Rays clearly weren’t able to find a club willing to give up minor league talent and commit to an $11MM payday for Fairbanks on day one of the offseason. Tampa Bay could’ve picked up the option and tried to trade him down the line, but their early shopping of the right-hander already spelled out that they weren’t keen on paying him $11MM. Trying to trade him after picking up the option ran the risk of needing to pay down even more than the $1MM buyout Fairbanks received in order to acquire a middling return — not exactly appealing for the Rays.

Just because Fairbanks wasn’t traded doesn’t mean his eventual price point will come in under $11MM. A two-year contract remains plenty plausible, particularly if it’s at a slightly lower annual rate. Even on a two-year pact, it’s possible some clubs might now value him differently after seeing other targets come off the board and/or after freeing up payroll space with some of their own early dealings.

The Tigers are an obvious fit for Fairbanks — or for any late-inning reliever in general. Detroit saw Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero, Paul Sewald and Tommy Kahnle all reach free agency at season’s end. Will Vest, Tyler Holton, Brenan Hanifee and Brant Hurter all posted quality ERA marks, but Vest is the only one of that quartet who did so with a plus strikeout rate and while pitching consistently in high-leverage settings.

Detroit general manager Jeff Greenberg has already said the team will “certainly” be in the market for a bullpen arm or two. President of baseball operations Scott Harris has also publicly called out the relief corps as an area of focus. The Tigers are hoping to re-sign Finnegan, who dominated for them after coming over from the Nats at the July trade deadline, and they were reported to have interest in Williams before he agreed to a three-year, $51MM deal with the Mets last night. The Tigers are surely casting a wide net in their search for ’pen help, but there’s been enough early interest in Fairbanks that some have speculated he could sign in the relatively near future.