Rays Decline Pete Fairbanks’ Contract Option
The Tampa Bay Rays have opted against exercising their $11 million contract option for reliever Pete Fairbanks, making him a free agent. This decision marks a significant shift for a player who has been with the Rays for most of his Major League career.
Career Highlights of Pete Fairbanks
Fairbanks joined the Rays in a trade that involved outfield prospect Nick Solak, a move that has proven beneficial for Tampa Bay. Over the past six seasons, Fairbanks has established himself as one of the more reliable late-game options in baseball.
Performance Statistics
Since the start of the 2020 season, Fairbanks has compiled an impressive 2.87 earned run average (ERA) over nearly 250 innings pitched. His ability to prevent runs has been paired with substantial strikeout rates, achieving nearly 35% from 2020 to 2023. However, there has been a noticeable decline in his strikeout performance over the past two seasons.
- 2020-2023 Strikeout Rate: Nearly 35% of batters faced
- 2021-2023 Strikeout Rate: Approximately 24%
- Recent Swinging Strike Rate: 12.6%
- League Average Strikeout Rate: 22.8%
- League Average Swinging Strike Percentage: 11.5%
- 2023 ERA: 2.83 over 60 1/3 innings
Save Opportunities and Velocity
In terms of save opportunities, Fairbanks has successfully converted 27 of 32 chances, consistently earning at least 23 saves in the last three seasons. His average velocity has seen some decrease following a peak during the 2022-2023 season, although he still averages above 97 mph on his fastball and showcases a plus mid-80s slider.
Despite facing some injury challenges in the past, including issues with his lat and forearm, Fairbanks didn’t experience any injuries during the most recent season, perhaps contributing to his effective performance on the field.
As Fairbanks enters free agency, teams will undoubtedly evaluate his strong track record as a late-game reliever, even with recent performance adjustments.
Further developments are expected as the offseason progresses.
