Marlins sign closer Pete Fairbanks

Pete Fairbanks (Ian D'Andrea, Wikimedia Commons)

Closer Pete Fairbanks of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is staying in the state of Florida. He is just switching teams. After seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, Fairbanks signed a one year deal worth $13 million with the Miami Marlins according to AJ Eustace of MLB Trade Rumors on Christmas Eve.

The Marlins are Fairbanks’s third Major League Baseball team. He spent part of his rookie season with the Texas Rangers in 2019, and was not effective at all. In eight games, Fairbanks had an earned run average of 9.35.

However, the Rays clearly liked what they saw from Fairbanks. On July 13, 2019, Fairbanks was traded from the Rangers to the Rays for second baseman Nick Solak of Woodridge, Illinois.

In 61 games this past season, Fairbanks had a record of four wins and five losses with an earned run average of 2.83. During 60 1/3 innings pitched, he had 27 saves, 59 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.04. Fairbanks also gave up 45 hits, 19 earned runs, seven home runs and 18 walks.

The Marlins finished third in the National League East this past year with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses. Last season, they had Calvin Faucher of Chula Vista, California as their closer. Faucher led Miami with 15 saves.

Fairbanks’s most impressive season with the Marlins came in 2022. Even though he did not start pitching that season until July because of a lat tear, when Fairbanks returned to the mound, he was exceptional. Fairbanks had a great earned run average of 1.13 and an amazing strikeout to walk ratio of 12.67.