Former Blue Jays reliever makes a case for Toronto to pursue Pete Fairbanks

Entering the offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays had an enticing free agent market that consisted of many elite relievers they could pursue for bullpen help. Whether it be Edwin Diaz, Robert Suárez or Ryan Helsley to name a few, there were plenty of options that the Blue Jays could consider that would bolster their relief corps ahead of the 2026 MLB season.

However, within the past three weeks, many of those relief candidates have been scooped up by rival contenders, leaving Toronto scrambling for whatever is remaining. The Blue Jays did manage to make something happen in the relief front this past week, picking up Tyler Rogers in free agency along with trading for Chase Lee from the Detroit Tigers. But to make a true difference for their bullpen going forward, they should still pursue a proven elite closer to help anchor their relief corps.

The lone prime option remaining is former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks. One person who thinks Fairbanks would be a good fit for the Blue Jays is a guy who used to do that exact job in Toronto. Retired reliever turned broadcaster Dan Plesac, of the MLB Network, has made a case for Toronto to go after the 32-year-old Fairbanks on a recent episode of Blair and Barker on Sportsnet.

Former Blue Jays reliever makes a case for Toronto to pursue Pete Fairbanks

“I think Fairbanks probably has the most upside of the guys remaining out there … I think right now if you are the Blue Jays you say ‘okay, what can we do to help this bullpen?’ … The two best guys that were out there, Suárez and Diaz, they’re (now) off the board … in my opinion, Pete Fairbanks has the pedigree because he has closed games, he has pitched in the AL East, and to me he makes the most sense,” said Plesac.

Plesac made those comments before the Blue Jays pick up of Rogers and Lee, but those words still hold some weight as neither Rogers or Lee are projected to compete with Jeff Hoffman for a ninth inning role. As a former MLB closer during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Plesac definitely knows quality when he sees it.

Taking a look at the numbers, he certainly has a point about Fairbanks. In 267 career appearances with the Rays, Fairbanks has compiled a 20-22 record with 90 saves, a 2.98 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, with 317 strikeouts in just 256.2 innings pitched. With his familiarity of his AL East rivals, it could give him the advantage in dealing with batters that he has consistently seen over the years.

On top of that, he has looked very comfortable in his eight games that he has played at Rogers Centre, sporting a 2.25 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in the process. So if Fairbanks manages to put up more of those numbers in a Blue Jays uniform, Toronto would be more than happy to have that.

More importantly, there aren’t many relievers left in the free agent market currently that has had prominent experience in closing out games. Not to say Jeff Hoffman can’t handle the role once again after a strong end to his 2025 campaign, but to have someone like Fairbanks just in case would be give the Blue Jays some extra insurance. It would also guarantee one would be the setup man for the other, pushing their back end of the bullpen to another level.

So despite some injury risks and all, when Fairbanks has been healthy, he has still been one of the top relievers in the game. As a result, the Blue Jays should seriously consider the top closer remaining, even if it ends up being a slight overpay.