Pete

Fairbanks

The deal, which was agreed to earlier this week, is now official after the 32-year-old right-hander passed his physical. The contract includes a $1 million signing bonus and Fairbanks will have the potential to pick up an additional $1 million in incentives. He’ll step in as the Marlins primary closer — in place of an injured Ronny Henriquez and over incumbent Calvin Faucher — after recording 75 saves for the Rays over the past three seasons.

Miami wanted a ninth-inning guy anyway, but they became especially motivated after losing Ronny Henriquez to elbow surgery. As a result, Fairbanks is getting $2 million more than he would have received had the Rays picked up his option. And that doesn’t include the $1 million buyout he received from Tampa Bay. Fairbanks had a 2.83 ERA in a career-high 60 1/3 innings last season. With a closing gig assured, he rates as a top-20 fantasy RP for 2026.

Fairbanks just doesn’t seem to be on the team’s list at all, and Díaz is looking for more years than Suarez and also has the qualifying offer hanging over his head. Suarez is pretty clearly the No. 2 reliever on a market that has lost previous Dodgers targets Devin Williams, Raisel Iglesias and Ryan Helsley. Of course, old friend Kenley Jansen is still out there, too.

Fairbanks is one of the better relievers still available on the market, and the right-hander would fill the closing gig for Arizona. The 31-year-old saved 27 games in 2025 with a 2.83 ERA, and would be marked improvement — at least on paper — to what the D-backs got from their closers in 2025.

Just yesterday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo reported that the Blue Jays were in on Fairbanks and that the former Rays closer could be the next reliever signed. Now we can add two more names to his list of suitors. It’s possible that Fairbanks could decide on a team by the end of the week, and the Blue Jays would be the only team in that trio where he didn’t at least have a share of the closer’s role.

The Blue Jays were reportedly interested in both Ryan Helsley and Raisel Iglesias before they signed elsewhere. Fairbanks posted a 2.83 ERA over 60 innings in 2025 and secured a career-high 27 saves for the Rays. Tampa Bay then declined his $11 million club option at the end of the season, paying him a $1 million buyout instead. For fantasy purposes, the Marlins would be a much better landing spot since he would likely serve as a set-up man to Jeff Hoffman in Toronto.

The Marlins are not exactly known for splurging in free agency, but they may believe in the club enough to go get one of the more “high-priced” relievers. Williams first — and likely only — year with the Yankees was a mixed bag at best but his success well documented, while Fairbanks has had his ups and downs but has generally been effective as a closer. Either player would likely cost Miami a multi-year deal, and they’d be immediately among the higher paid players on the roster.

Fairbanks becomes the latest upper-tier closer to hit a loaded free-agent market after recording 90 saves with a pristine 2.98 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 332/103 K/BB ratio across 265 1/3 innings over 275 appearances for Tampa Bay since 2019. The hard-throwing 31-year-old righty should draw plenty of interest this winter after making a career-high 61 appearances and converting 27 saves in his final season with the Rays.

Fairbanks got the call to protect a one-run lead in the final frame and needed just 10 pitches (seven strikes) to slam the door. He got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to pop up and Alejandro Kirk to ground out before striking out Ty France to end it.

Fairbanks was called upon to protect a narrow one-run lead in the final frame and managed to make things interesting by handing out back-to-back free passes in addition to uncorking a wild pitch. He managed to wriggle out of the jam completely unscathed by coaxing a fielder’s choice from ensuing batter Matt Shaw, which led to Willi Castro being thrown out at the plate. He struck out Michael Busch and Ian Happ to preserve the victory. He’s converted 26 of 31 save opportunities this season as one of the better closing options in the fantasy landscape.