Is Pete Fairbanks worth a big contract to close for Cubs? |
Dustin Riese
· · 5 hours ago
There is no denying that one of the many strengths for the Cubs last season was the job the bullpen did in 2025. Sure, there were some hiccups along the way, especially in the early part of the season, but once they settled in, they quickly became one of the best pens in baseball. That included a nearly three-month stretch when they were the best bullpen in baseball, keeping this team afloat during the season's downturns.
Despite that, things aren't looking good for the Cubs' pen heading into 2026, as this team is going to have to rebuild the entire pen on the fly. That includes the back end of the pen, where they had five pitchers with ERAs under 2.6. As things stand today, Porter Hodge and Daniel Palencia are the only relief arms under contract for 2026, and that won't get you too far heading into a season. Both pitchers have closer experience, but you have to wonder if the Cubs feel better moving them to the seventh and eighth inning roles, which would open the door for them to acquire a closer. That's not to say Palencia can't take back the closer job next season, but after watching what he did in the playoffs, you could see him take over the role that Brad Keller held this past season. Should the Cubs be in the market for a closer, keep an eye on Pete Fairbanks, who was not only a deadline target for the Cubs last season but could be the most sought-after closer in free agency this season. When discussing some of the games' best closers, Fairbanks is often overlooked, and it's about time he gets the respect he deserves. The 31-year-old has been around for a while now and is coming off another strong season, during which he appeared in 61 games for the Rays in 2025, picking up 27 saves and posting a 2.83 ERA over 60 innings. Fairbanks also walked 18 compared to 59 strikeouts, as that continued to be a massive part of his game. For his career, Fairbanks is up to 90 career saves, 73 coming over the past three seasons since taking over the full-time closer role for the Rays. He's done that while posting a 3.15 ERA over the past few seasons, which is right on track with his career 3.10 ERA. The Cubs found out firsthand how good Fairbanks can be this season, as he appeared in one of the Rays' three games against the Cubs. He wound up walking two in his inning of work, but also struck out three as he did what he had to do to slam the door shut. When you look at him as a pitcher, Fairbanks is what you call a sneaky good pitcher, as his 97 MPH average fastball sneaks up on hitters. What that means is that his fastball gives you the perception that it's not moving as fast as it is, resulting in plenty of late swings at the plate. With that fastball comes one of the game's best breaking balls, as he has been a two-pitch guy for the past several seasons. Knowing that Fairbanks is hitting free agency for the first time, you can expect him to chase the money, as this could be the only lucrative deal he receives. With an anticipated three-year contract worth $50 million, he is going to command a substantial sum, but given his track record, he is one of those arms worth the investment. Adding Fairbanks to the Cubs pen not only gives them a much-needed arm to help fill the voids of some of those other guys, but you are also adding a back-of-the-bullpen arm with plenty of closer experience. That is something the Cubs haven't had lately, as their last few closers have either gotten hurt or not worked out as hoped.
