The Yankees’ bullpen needs to be rebuilt. They have the foundation with David Bednar in the ninth, but with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver in free agency, there’s another high-leverage lane to fill. Enter
Could division-rival Pete Fairbanks be the answer?
SNY MLB analyst Anthony McCarron thinks so—if Tampa Bay gets price-sensitive. The Rays, who have traditionally been price sensitive, hold a $12.5 million club option for 2026
Fairbanks just posted career marks in workload (61 games) and saves (27) with a 2.83 ERA. The stuff remains loud: a 97 mph fastball and a biting slider, and—crucially—improved strike-throwing. He trimmed his walk rate to 7.4 percent (league average was 8.4), which is the tipping point between “electric” and “trust him with traffic.” Health has been the caution label, but he was available all through 2025.
Why the Yankees? Because pairing a power righty with Bednar lets Boone play matchups without overexposing anyone. It also frees up the rest of the pen to live in cleaner pockets—fewer tired three-out saves in May, fewer four-out adventures in August.
Tampa rarely moves high-leverage arms in-division unless paid a premium, but the option number creates a conversation. New York could dangle an upper-minors bat and a controllable pitching piece; the Rays would aim to replace Fairbanks’ innings cheaply and bank surplus value.
It’s more realistic than you think. If the Rays decide $12.5 million is better deployed across two arms and a bench need. After the sale of the team in September, this could be the first indication if the new ownership will be committing more resources to the roster.
For the Yankees, it’s a tidy, high-impact addition that doesn’t cost nine figures or block internal options.
If Tampa flinches on the option, Fairbanks is exactly the kind of leverage add that sharpens the Yankees’ ninth—and their whole night.