Pete Fairbanks reveals his surprising shift to Miami, citing family proximity and the Marlins' vision as key factors in his departure from Tampa Bay.
Change isn't something that new Miami Marlins' closer Pete Fairbanks is used to.
The 32-year-old is a seasoned veteran in the big leagues at this point, with six full seasons under his belt.
But aside from 8.2 innings with the Texas Rangers in 2019, Fairbanks' entire big league career has been spent with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Over that time, Fairbanks became one of the top relievers in baseball.
Last season, he saved 27 games for the Tampa Bay Rays, ending with a 2.83 ERA.
But due to a variety of factors: team finances, an uncertain trade market and wanting to spend elsewhere on the roster, the Rays decided to decline Fairbanks' $11 million club option, making him a free agent.
Fairbanks decided to stay in Florida and sign with the Miami Marlins, and he detailed his decision to sign on a Zoom call with reporters on New Year's Eve.
"Talking to teams throughout, I went in with no expectations," Fairbanks said. "What (team president Pete Bendix) is doing here was definitely a pleasant surprise. Definitely had some appeal there, and we sat down, and we really talked about it, and the people there that we talked to throughout the process seemed great on the pitching side."
Another big factor in Fairbanks' signing was family.
"It's four hours from St. Pete, and we're expecting our third kid basically on Opening Day," Fairbanks said. "So that proximity, coupled with meeting everything else that we were looking for, made it a pretty good choice for us."
However, joining a new team is something that Fairbanks isn't used to. But, he's looking forward to the transition.
"It should be fun," Fairbanks said. "Obviously, it's been a little bit different, right, since I've been in the same spot for the past however many years.
"Despite the turnover there, it was pretty... the core was pretty much the same. But, you know, I know (Marlins reliever) Calvin Faucher, so I'm going to have to use Calvin to make all my social inroads, which is either going to really help or really hinder, I don't know exactly which."
Fairbanks also looks forward to working with pitching coach Daniel Moskos.
"I'm excited about it," he said. "I like Mosk and the staff, they seem great. So I think on that side of things, it should be pretty seamless to get integrated, for the most part, on that side of things.