With a quality number one reliever in 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays would have a World Series ring on their finger right now. It is for this reason that, despite the fact that it is not the house's habits to grant a lot of money in the relief pen, the Blue Jays must be aggressive in this regard this winter.
And it seems that this is the case, the Canadian team having had discussions with Raisel Iglesias, Phil Maton and Ryan Helsley, the three best relievers who have signed since the opening of the free agent market.
And it looks like it's not over yet. Indeed, after the news that their division rivals, the Baltimore Orioles, reached a deal with reliever Ryan Helsley this weekend, now the Blue Jays are closely linked to the former closer of the Tampa Bay Rays, Pete Fairbanks, according to Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic.
With Ryan Helsley off the market, Pete Fairbanks could be next to sign. The Blue Jays and Miami Marlins are among the teams interested in him, according to industry sources.
Anything can always happen on the free agent market, but the Marlins are a team that won't be able to outbid a deep roster like Toronto for a free agent they both want to acquire.
In fact, Miami's main motivation for spending money this offseason may just be to avoid a possible grievance from the MLB Players' Association. The door therefore seems wide open for representatives of the Ontario metropolis.
Fairbanks had an eleven million dollar club option that the Rays, true to form, declined. The 31-year-old would provide another option for the Jays if Jeff Hoffman's inconsistency persists into 2026, or could even start the next campaign as the number one reliever, which would be the ideal scenario.
