Blue Jays Showing Interest In 31-Year-Old Reliever: Insider

By Patrick McAvoy

Contributing Sports Writer

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The Toronto Blue Jays are in the market for a high-leverage reliever.

The Athletic's Mitch Bannon reported on Nov. 13 that adding a reliever is one of the team's "offseason priorities."

"The Toronto Blue Jays have yet to give strong indications of their offseason priorities, a league source said, except for one area," Bannon wrote. "The Jays, sources told The Athletic, are in search of a high-leverage reliever. The Blue Jays haven’t often paid up for top relievers during the decade-long Toronto tenure of Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro. But for a team that suffered a crushing blown save in Game 7 of the World Series and hopes to compete for a title again in 2026, it may be time to make another exception."

...

Toronto reportedly showed interest in Ryan Helsley, Raisel Iglesias, and Phil Maton. Now, the Blue Jays are "involved" in the Pete Fairbanks sweepstakes, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

"The Blue Jays, (Miami Marlins), and (Detroit Tigers) are all involved in the Pete Fairbanks market," Morosi wrote on X. "Fairbanks could sign before the winter meetings begin on Monday."

Fairbanks has experience pitching in the American League East. He has been a member of the Tampa Bay Rays since 2019 after being acquired in a trade with the Texas Rangers.

If the Blue Jays could land the 31-year-old, that would be huge for the bullpen. He's coming off a season in which he logged a 2.83 ERA and 59-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 60 1/3 innings pitched for Tampa Bay.

More MLB: Blue Jays Insider Addresses Bo Bichette, Kyle Tucker Rumors

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