Despite a rocky ERA, Pete Fairbanks’ elite velocity and strikeout rates offer a high-upside gamble for the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen.
The Los Angeles Dodgers can never have too many arms in their organization, and that could be what brings Miami Marlins' Pete Fairbanks to LA.
Fairbanks, 32, has a brutal 7.42 ERA this season. He has picked up 13 saves, but the longtime Tampa Bay Rays closer sports a career-low -1.3 WAR.
The Athletic firmly believes the Marlins aren't in good enough of a position to be buyers, so Fairbanks could be on the market during the 2026 trade deadline.
Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr., Chad Jennings, and Eno Sarris all came together to compile a list of 78 players who are on the market, and Fairbanks is certainly one of those, as he's played nowhere near the level of the $13 million that Miami is paying him.
Fairbanks is a relatively risk-free rental
Despite reports of the Dodgers not being in the pitcher or catcher market, there's always a conversation to be had. Sure, on paper, Fairbanks' numbers are abysmal, but there's still plenty to love about the hard-throwing veteran.
"Fairbanks has mostly rebounded from a terrible April that ended with him sidelined with nerve irritation. Since coming back, he’s blown a single save for a Marlins team getting hot enough to be part of the National League playoff picture. Fairbanks’ strikeout rate is back over 30 percent, though it’s paired with a walk rate into double figures," they wrote.
Ultimately, this could be a risk the Dodgers aren't willing to take. While his strikeout percentage (29.5%) is in the top 91st percentile, according to Baseball Savant, his walk percentage (10.1%) puts him in the bottom 27th percentile.
Fairbanks has an incredible fastball velocity (97.3 mph), and he's getting batters to chase 34% of the time and whiff on 29.3% of his pitches. Again, there's a lot to love, but is the price tag worth whatever the Dodgers would have to give up?
Dodgers should at least consider trading for Fairbanks
Even with the second-best record in all of baseball, the Dodgers still have plenty of areas they need to improve in. When it comes to starting pitching, they're as good as ever. Looking at the bullpen, there are still a few kinks that haven't been worked out.
Fairbanks picked up his third blown save of the year on Sunday, July 19, but prior to that he picked up eight saves before his last blown appearance. His 10.13 ERA in the month of July is something to monitor, and if those numbers can't drop back down, then there's no reason to even entertain an offer from the Marlins.
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