White Sox Eye Pete Fairbanks as Bullpen Market Tightens
While much of Major League Baseball’s free agent scene has been slow to unfold this offseason, the bullpen market is moving fast - and not in a way that benefits teams still shopping for late-inning arms. Closers are flying off the board.
Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias, Emilio Pagán, and Ryan Helsley have all inked new deals, leaving teams scrambling for what's left. And right now, Pete Fairbanks is the biggest name still standing.
Fairbanks, who just turned 32, is drawing significant attention - and for good reason. When he’s healthy, he’s a high-leverage weapon, capable of shutting down the ninth with elite velocity and a nasty slider.
But durability has always been the question mark. Last season, he threw a career-high 60 1/3 innings - a solid workload, but also a reminder that he hadn’t topped 45 1/3 innings in any previous year.
That kind of track record is part of what’s shaping his market.
According to recent reporting, teams like the Marlins are still in the mix, but Fairbanks likely won’t command the $11 million salary the Rays opted not to pay him on a one-year deal. That’s where things get interesting for a team like the White Sox.
Chicago has been relatively quiet on the bullpen front so far this winter. Outside of a few Rule 5 picks and a waiver claim that feels more like a lottery ticket than a solution, the Sox haven’t made a splash. But they’ve been linked to Fairbanks, and with the market for closers thinning by the day, their chances of landing him might actually be improving.
Here’s why: Early in the offseason, top-tier closers were pulling in deals in the $12-15 million per year range - a price tag that likely put the Sox behind some of the league’s bigger spenders. But if Fairbanks’ injury history is indeed suppressing his value, that opens the door for a team like Chicago to swoop in with a shorter-term, lower-AAV offer.
A recent comp might help frame the situation. Kyle Finnegan, who signed a two-year, $19 million deal with the Tigers, brings a bit more recent volume to the table - 90 saves since the start of 2023, compared to Fairbanks’ 75.
But Detroit also just brought in Kenley Jansen, which could shift Finnegan into a setup role. That kind of uncertainty might put Fairbanks and Finnegan on similar footing contract-wise.
If Fairbanks lands in the $9.5 million per year range, that’s a pretty team-friendly number for a guy who, when right, can anchor the back end of a bullpen.
For the White Sox, that kind of deal would make a lot of sense. It gives them a proven ninth-inning option without tying up long-term money - and it creates flexibility.
If Fairbanks performs well in the first half, he becomes a valuable trade chip at the deadline. Teams always pay a premium for reliable closers in July, and the Sox could flip him for future assets while grooming someone like Jordan Leasure to take over down the stretch.
It’s the kind of low-risk, high-upside move that fits where the White Sox are right now - a team in transition, trying to rebuild credibility while staying opportunistic. Fairbanks might ultimately choose a contender, and Chicago may not win the bidding war. But they’re clearly in the conversation, and that’s not nothing.
Chris Getz, now steering the front office, has expressed optimism about the White Sox as a destination for free agents. According to Getz, players and agents are sensing a positive shift in the organization’s direction.
“When we meet with these agents or talk to these players, the reputation is really strong,” Getz recently said. “They can sense what’s going on here.
People want to come here. They do.
They want to work here, they want to play here.”
Time will tell if that optimism translates into signings. But if the White Sox can land a player like Fairbanks - a proven closer with upside and potential trade value - it could be a strong signal that they’re serious about reshaping their roster. And with the holiday season upon us, fans on the South Side could be in for a welcome gift if things break their way.