PORT CHARLOTTE - The closer role has long been the domain of solitary figures, striding in from the bullpen to the roar of the crowd and the blare of iconic entrance music. Think Mariano Rivera's "Enter Sandman" or Trevor Hoffman's "Hells Bells." But at Tropicana Field this season, the Rays are rewriting the script.
Forget the traditional closer. With Pete Fairbanks out, Tampa Bay is embracing a bullpen-by-committee approach. Manager Kevin Cash is set to deploy a quartet of relievers - Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger, Edwin Uceta, and Bryan Baker - to handle the high-stakes final outs of tight games.
“We’ve got a bunch of candidates,” Cash stated as spring workouts kicked off. “Uceta, Cleavinger, Jax, Baker - they’ve all been there.
And what we saw in the past is a group that supports each other. It was selfless and exciting: figuring out how we’re going to get those last nine outs.”
This isn't uncharted territory for the Rays. Back in 2022, they famously employed a similar strategy, becoming only the second team in MLB history to have five relievers with at least five saves but none with more than nine. That season, and the one before, saw them average 93 wins and make the playoffs.
The strategy isn’t just about spreading the workload; it’s about creating a dynamic bullpen that thrives on versatility and unpredictability. “It was cool for all of them,” Cash reminisced.
“They took pride in saying, ‘We don’t know exactly when we’re going to pitch.’ They embraced whatever was being asked.”
Tampa Bay’s bullpen has seen 56 different relievers earn a save over the past decade, leading the American League in this flexible approach. Each of these four relievers has been tested in high-pressure scenarios over multiple seasons.
“Cash is great at playing the hot hand or knowing the right matchups,” Baker commented. “It should be interesting without a ‘named’ closer, but everyone’s ready to step up.”
The real test lies in consistency, especially when the game hangs in the balance. “That’s why closers get paid so much,” Cleavinger noted.
“It’s tough coming into a close game in a hostile environment. But if we stick to our process and stay aggressive, we can handle it.”
Each of these pitchers has shown flashes of brilliance. Uceta boasts 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings since joining the Rays in 2024. Cleavinger posted a 2.35 ERA in 2025, Jax notched 10 saves with a 2.03 ERA in Minnesota in 2024, and Baker racked up 83 strikeouts in 68 innings last year.
However, the bullpen also experienced turbulence in 2025, with a rough July that included seven blown saves in 22 games. Despite this, they finished second in strikeouts and maintained a solid ERA.
“We had a tough stretch,” acknowledged Erik Neander, president of baseball operations. “But looking at our strikeout/walk rate, velocity, and overall performance, they were as dominant as anyone. I believe this group is in a great place.”
The Rays are betting on their depth and adaptability to carry them through the season, proving once again that in Tampa Bay, innovation is always in play.