Pete Fairbanks is still being mentioned as one of the top, high-leverage relievers left on the free agent market. Sure, he finished the 2025 season with solid surface results. He had a 2.83 ERA, 27 saves, 59 strikeouts and a 1.04 WHIP over 60.1 innings in 61 appearances, but beneath those traditional stats lies a mixed profile that is sending off warning signs for teams.
At a glance, 27 saves and a sub-3.00 ERA look closer-worthy.
But Fairbanks’ underlying metrics suggest he wasn’t quite the dominant late-inning force he once was. Statcast shows a 42.8% hard-hit rate and a 90.2 mph average exit velocity against, marks that are closer to league average than elite for a high-leverage reliever.
With Tropicana Field damaged by a hurricane, the Rays played their home games outdoors, exposing Fairbanks and their pitchers to conditions they typically avoid in a domed environment. For a power arm like Fairbanks, whose success has long relied on a high-velocity fastball and sharp breaking ball, that shift likely dulled some of his usual advantages.
Fairbanks, 32, also has Raynaud’s syndrome, a condition that can cause numbness and loss of feeling in his hands in extreme temperatures. While teams are familiar with the condition, it remains part of the evaluation, particularly for clubs in colder climates or those planning deep runs in the playoffs.
Traditional numbers only tell part of the story.
Fairbanks’ 59 strikeouts in 60.1 innings translated to roughly a 24% strikeout rate, well below the dominant swing-and-miss levels he posted earlier in his career. Hitters made more contact, and while that didn’t torpedo his ERA, it did change how front offices view his margin for error.
The Rays have traditionally been very smart about moving on from pitchers as they decline. Tampa Bay did not tender Fairbanks a contract for 2026, cutting him loose after seven seasons.
In a bullpen market where many of the top relievers came off the board early, his experience and durability remain attractive to teams seeking depth without paying elite closer prices.
As the market narrows, Fairbanks’ eventual deal is likely to reflect that balance — a reliever who produced respectable results in 2025, but one whose underlying metrics and unique context have made teams cautious rather than aggressive.
