Pete Fairbanks?

[WestEddy]

6 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

There are some decent red flags here, the biggest one of all being reported interest.  If a name is out there, I swear 99 times out of 100 it ends up not happening.

And any "talks" being reported have happened day(s) ago. 

[caulfield12]

4 hours ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

His K numbers have dropped last two years. Any insight as to why 

https://www.si.com/mlb/rays/onsi/news/mlb-insider-reveals-why-rays-never-traded-pete-fairbanks-in-recent-years

The counting numbers looked fine/good...but they apparently overvalued his worth on the trade market.  Just not an elite guy, service able but not dominant peripherals.

Essentially Matz just replaced him, providing more flexibility as a LH reliever/swingman.

Lots of uncertainty about the health of that rotation too...especially Baz and McClanahan.

[Nokona]

I like him.  Some injury concerns though we beggars cant be choosers.

[caulfield12]

7 minutes ago, Nokona said:

I like him.  Some injury concerns though we beggars cant be choosers.

Rays usually don't make significant mistakes when they move on from a player...except for misjudging Wander Franco's character.

Edited December 9 by caulfield12

[Chicago White Sox]

7 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Rays usually don't make significant mistakes when they move on from a player...except for misjudging Wander Franco's character.

They also have a tight budget and every penny matters.

[caulfield12]

1 minute ago, Chicago White Sox said:

They also have a tight budget and every penny matters.

Same as White Sox.

Waiting on that new stadium in 2029.

Holding pattern in a division increasingly dominated by big money teams.  

And even the Orioles were kicking tires on Alonso and Schwarber.

[caulfield12]

https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/blue-jays-reportedly-considering-stealing-43m-closer-from-division-rival-11184309

Spotrac projected $43-44 million and three years for Fairbanks...

Good luck, White Sox.

[Chicago White Sox]

7 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/blue-jays-reportedly-considering-stealing-43m-closer-from-division-rival-11184309

Spotrac projected $43-44 million and three years for Fairbanks...

Good luck, White Sox.

JFC…as has been said multiple times, the Rays declined a 1/$11M option and could find no one to take on that salary.  But yup, he’s now going to get 3/$43M because fucking Spotrac says so.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

8 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

JFC…as has been said multiple times, the Rays declined a 1/$11M option and could find no one to take on that salary.  But yup, he’s now going to get 3/$43M because fucking Spotrac says so.

I have Pete getting 2 years 18 million+. I think you're thinking too much into the Rays declining the option. That just means they don't want to give him 11 million, not that someone else won't. Also, picking up an option to trade a player for 0 surplus value never makes sense, so Fairbanks could be worth 11 million and the Rays wouldn't pick it up because they don't want to invest the 11 million, and he's worth zero dollars over it so no trade value to speak of. 

[Chicago White Sox]

7 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I have Pete getting 2 years 18 million+. I think you're thinking too much into the Rays declining the option. That just means they don't want to give him 11 million, not that someone else won't. Also, picking up an option to trade a player for 0 surplus value never makes sense, so Fairbanks could be worth 11 million and the Rays wouldn't pick it up because they don't want to invest the 11 million, and he's worth zero dollars over it so no trade value to speak of. 

Not sure what you are arguing here, but let me clear on my point.  There is zero fucking chance that Fairbanks gets a 3/$34M contract.  Yes, a zero surplus value option presents no trade value for the acquiring team theoretically, but it also implies that no one believes he’s worth more than that or the option would provide value.  And if any team would try to cash in on that it would be the Rays.

He may get a two year deal…have literally never said otherwise. In fact, I assume he will get a two year deal.  I just very much doubt it will be worth more than $11M AAV and it won’t be three at the exact AAV every team in baseball declined.

[BamaDoc]

I just read that Fairbanks is one of the player representatives for the upcoming labor talks.  JR is on the owners negotiating group.  Would that be enough to kill any chance of him joining the White Sox?

[caulfield12]

2 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Not sure what you are arguing here, but let me clear on my point.  There is zero fucking chance that Fairbanks gets a 3/$34M contract.  Yes, a zero surplus value option presents no trade value for the acquiring team theoretically, but it also implies that no one believes he’s worth more than that or the option would provide value.  And if any team would try to cash in on that it would be the Rays.

He may get a two year deal…have literally never said otherwise. In fact, I assume he will get a two year deal.  I just very much doubt it will be worth more than $11M AAV and it won’t be three at the exact AAV every team in baseball declined.

It's going to be significantly more than 2/$16.

That's basically Steven Matz, not the second best closer now available for just $$$ on the FA market with all but a handful of teams unwilling to give Robert Suarez $20-25 million over multiple years (especially considering his age.)

Brandon Finnegan was at what, 2/$19?

[Autumn Dreamin]

[WhiteSox2023]

Just now, Autumn Dreamin said:

Getz ain’t paying that kind of coin.

[caulfield12]

2 hours ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Getz ain’t paying that kind of coin.

Right.

Once it went over $15-16 million, he (Gets) gone.

Spotrac at a number in $30s is off unless it goes three years, but lower numbers always seemed off in this market.

Who's the next reliever up after Fairbanks?

Luke Weaver maybe?

Finnegan at 2/$19 and Fairbanks is a more proven closer in the most competitive division.

[caulfield12]

The list of suitors for free agent reliever Pete Fairbanks continues to grow. Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports that the White Sox are interested in the veteran right-hander. Chicago joins the Diamondbacks, Tigers, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Dodgers as teams connected to Fairbanks.

[Lip Man 1]

2 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

The list of suitors for free agent reliever Pete Fairbanks continues to grow. Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports that the White Sox are interested in the veteran right-hander. Chicago joins the Diamondbacks, Tigers, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Dodgers as teams connected to Fairbanks.

They absolutely need competent bullpen help, you can't expect to make any real progress when you've lost as many leads as they have in the 7th inning or later the past two seasons.

It was ridiculous.  

[Chicago White Sox]

Per Courtney Finnegan, the Sox are very much open to signing Fairbanks to a two year deal.  Whether they can agree to financial terms remaining to be seen, but it does sound like he has some interest in joining the Sox.  Additionally, take all of this with a grain of salt, but she said she also heard that Dustin May is a fall-back option at closer.  Clearly this is a spot the Sox are willing to invest some money into.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

11 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Per Courtney Finnegan, the Sox are very much open to signing Fairbanks to a two year deal.  Whether they can agree to financial terms remaining to be seen, but it does sound like he has some interest in joining the Sox.  Additionally, take all of this with a grain of salt, but she said she also heard that Dustin May is a fall-back option at closer.  Clearly this is a spot the Sox are willing to invest some money into.

So the Sox are investing in a closer while keeping Grant Taylor in the bullpen. Make it make sense.

[Chicago White Sox]

7 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

So the Sox are investing in a closer while keeping Grant Taylor in the bullpen. Make it make sense.

They claim they aren’t keeping Taylor in the bullpen long-term and instead are just ramping him up as a multi-inning reliever this year.  I personally don’t like the plan, especially since we are burning service time, but I also don’t think it automatically condemns him to a reliever role forever.  If they felt he was a long-term reliever, they would almost certainly make his closer.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

19 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

They claim they aren’t keeping Taylor in the bullpen long-term and instead are just ramping him up as a multi-inning reliever this year.  I personally don’t like the plan, especially since we are burning service time, but I also don’t think it automatically condemns him to a reliever role forever.  If they felt he was a long-term reliever, they would almost certainly make his closer.

Where did they claim that? I haven't seen anything this year implying Taylor will be a starter again. I see next to no chance that Taylor moves into a starter capacity for the White Sox at this point. The Crochet path is not normal and shouldn't be expected of others.

All I heard is elite closers have value too so it's not a loss to have him in the bullpen, but he's not even the closer lol. I'm also just sick and tired of spending significant % of our payroll on the f'ing bullpen. 

Edited Thursday at 02:23 PM by Look at Ray Ray Run

[Chicago White Sox]

4 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Where did they claim that? I haven't seen anything this year implying Taylor will be a starter again. I see next to no chance that Taylor moves into a starter capacity for the White Sox at this point. The Crochet path is not normal and shouldn't be expected of others.

All I heard is elite closers have value too so it's not a loss to have him in the bullpen, but he's not even the closer lol. I'm also just sick and tired of spending significant % of our payroll on the f'ing bullpen. 

I have seen that in a few spots over the past six months, but the most recent was in the BA Top Prospect rankings list where they project Grant Taylor to be our eventual #2 SP and Bill Mitchell (who does the rankings) said in the chat that he was told by White Sox sources that the plan is still to eventually move him back into the rotation.  I don’t disagree with your notion it’s weird plan and one I’m skeptical of working, but for now I do believe this is some crazy Bannister idea that he believes is possible.

[caulfield12]

What’s the point of NOT letting him get at least 2-3 innings, ramping up to four innings at a time as an opener then???

Kay and Cannon are definitely not long-term pieces for the competitive window.

Doubtful that Davitt and Paez are, either.

If it doesn’t take or he gets hurt, then go to Plan B and make him a high leverage, multiple innings guy like Joel Zumaya used to do for the Tigers…or Andrew Miller for StL.

 

Plus they’ve already decided to keep Vasil in the pen, who seems to have as much upside as those four names and at least has borne a starter’s workload in the minors.

[Y2Jimmy0]

1 hour ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Per Courtney Finnegan, the Sox are very much open to signing Fairbanks to a two year deal.  Whether they can agree to financial terms remaining to be seen, but it does sound like he has some interest in joining the Sox.  Additionally, take all of this with a grain of salt, but she said she also heard that Dustin May is a fall-back option at closer.  Clearly this is a spot the Sox are willing to invest some money into.

I can confirm that they have interest in May as a reliever. 

1 hour ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

So the Sox are investing in a closer while keeping Grant Taylor in the bullpen. Make it make sense.

Taylor is in the bullpen this year but they do see a path toward starting long-term supposedly. 

39 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I have seen that in a few spots over the past six months, but the most recent was in the BA Top Prospect rankings list where they project Grant Taylor to be our eventual #2 SP and Bill Mitchell (who does the rankings) said in the chat that he was told by White Sox sources that the plan is still to eventually move him back into the rotation.  I don’t disagree with your notion it’s weird plan and one I’m skeptical of working, but for now I do believe this is some crazy Bannister idea that he believes is possible.

This exactly. 

[caulfield12]

https://dodgerblue.com/dodgers-news-dustin-may-receives-votes-for-best-future-closer-in-mlb-pipeline-executive-poll/2020/01/20/
 

What is the status of Dustin May’s elbow as of today?   His Red Sox season was ended by another elbow injury.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/dustin-may-fully-back-to-normal-after-elbow-injury.html

Claims to be fully back to normal…but would have to through a rigorous investigation as injury-riddled as his career has been until now.  Also had that quite unusual torn esophagus injury.

 

With May, failure as a closer would at least leave the door back open to a starting rotation return.

Edited Thursday at 03:19 PM by caulfield12