Following the conclusion of the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays front office is going to have some decisions to make. 

As the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers continue to battle for the crown in the Fall Classic, management will begin making significant roster choices for the first time under new ownership. The conclusion of the World Series spells the official beginning of the offseason, and roster moves are required within five days from the start. Two players are up for consideration: All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe and closer Pete Fairbanks. 

President of baseball operations Erik Neander and the Rays brass have two choices: Pick up their options or buy them out and let them walk. As it stands, Lowe is owed an $11.5 million salary or a $500,000 buyout, and Fairbanks will make $11 million or a $1 million buyout.  

“I think we expect to be a competitive team next year,” Nenader said during the postseason press conference on Sept. 30. “How do we improve ourselves? What kind of money is required? How do you need to allocate it? That will be a consideration as we get into the winter and find the right mix.”  

“But Pete and Brandon, those are two players that have meant a lot to our organization,” Neander added. “We appreciate them both greatly. We’re going to go into this winter and just see how we can best configure this thing to win more baseball games next year. But, like I said, we didn’t move them at the deadline. And usually that’s a pretty good sign of how we feel about them.” 

Lowe is coming off his best season since 2021 which was highlighted by his second All-Star selection. He hit 256/.307/.477, with 19 doubles, 31 home runs, 83 RBI and 79 runs scored over 131 games. His 31 home runs tied New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. for the most in baseball among their positions, and it is the most Lowe has hit since a career-high 39 homers in 2021. 

He also led American League second basemen in RBIs and extra-base hits (50), tied for the lead in runs scored, was second in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS (.785) and ranked fifth in doubles and sixth in on-base percentage. As a result, Lowe has been named a finalist for the American League Silver Slugger Award. After struggling offensively, the Rays may commit to Lowe for the foreseeable future.  

Meanwhile, Fairbanks was able to log 59 strikeouts in 2025, the second-most in a single season throughout his seven-year career. However, he also gave up a career-high 19 earned runs and five blown saves. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays may be skeptical about committing $11 million to Fairbanks after paying him roughly $3.67 million over each of the last three seasons.