The Tampa Bay Rays are on the hunt for a new closer after Pete Fairbanks' departure. Fairbanks, who had been the team's full-time closer for the past three seasons, signed a one-year, $13MM deal with the Miami Marlins, leaving the Rays to fill the void. With a history of shuffling through closers, the Rays now face the challenge of finding a reliable replacement. Here's a breakdown of the potential candidates and their strengths and weaknesses.
Edwin Uceta
Uceta, a high-leverage right-hander, led the bullpen with 76 innings and tied for the team lead with 21 holds in 2025. While he only had one save, he previously served as the closer when Fairbanks missed time in 2024, recording the first five saves of his MLB career. Uceta's fastball, changeup, and cutter all had whiff rates above 31% last season, and he has a 15.5% swinging-strike rate for his career. However, the main issue is his propensity to allow home runs, as he gave up 11 in 2025, ranking in the top 10 among relievers.
Griffin Jax
Jax, acquired at the trade deadline, was set to be the closer in waiting. He had been the setup man in Minnesota behind Jhoan Duran, though he had forced somewhat of a timeshare in 2024. Jax earned a career-high 10 saves that season. However, the change of scenery didn't help him in 2025, as he allowed seven earned runs in his first 7 1/3 innings with Tampa Bay, including a game-losing three-run blast to Cal Raleigh in early August. He closed the season with 10 scoreless appearances, mostly in low-leverage spots.
Garrett Cleavinger (Honorable Mention)
Cleavinger, a left-handed reliever, matched Uceta with 21 holds as the preferred lefty setup man. However, his candidacy has a clear flaw: he's the only left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster. There's virtually no chance he'll get the closer job without another lefty in the bullpen.
Bryan Baker
Baker, an unheralded reliever, spiked a 32.5% strikeout rate through three months last season with the Orioles. The Rays traded for him in early July. Baker made a significant pitch mix tweak in 2025, doubling his changeup usage and prioritizing it ahead of his slider. The changeup was Baker's best whiff pitch by far, holding opponents to a .128 batting average. However, he still got hit incredibly hard, giving up barrels at a 12.6% clip, which ranked in the 1st percentile.
Hunter Bigge
Bigge, while he might not break camp with the team, looms as the potential closer of the future. Tampa Bay acquired him at the 2024 trade deadline in the deal that sent Isaac Paredes to the Cubs. Bigge had dominated at Triple-A that season, earning his first big-league promotion. He pitched well in his brief time in Chicago, then continued to excel with the Rays. However, Bigge's 2025 season was wrecked by two injuries, including a lat strain in early May and a facial fracture in June.
