The Rangers and Rays have had at least preliminary conversations about Tampa Bay closer , . Fairbanks is one of a handful of Rays veterans whose status is up in the air as the team considers its deadline approach. Tampa Bay lost to the Yankees tonight, falling back to .500 in the proce s. Theyre now three games back in the Wild Card race. Thats hardly insurmountable, yet the trend lines are not good. The Rays have a 7-16 record this month, an ill-timed skid that seemingly has forced the front office to more seriously consider a sell-off. relayed this afternoon that other teams expect the Rays to serve as one of the bigger sellers in the next two days. It was le s than a week ago that reported that the Rays preferred to hold Derrick Jones Jr. Jersey Fairbanks. Perhaps thats still the case, but the Rays have dropped five out of six since then. A bubble teams plans can change quickly this time of year. If the Rays do sell, Fairbanks would be an obvious candidate. Hes in the final guaranteed season of his three-year contract. Theres a club option for next season thatll very likely be in eight figures after accounting for various escalators. Thatd be a significant price for Tampa Bay to spend on a relief pitcher. The 31-year-old Fairbanks is playing this season on a much cheaper $3.667MM salary. Thatd be appealing to any team but would take on extra importance for Texas given their proximity to the luxury tax threshold. Theres no indication that Fairbanks is a specific priority for the Rangers, however. Theyre casting a wide net in the search for a late-inning reliever and have also been tied to , and Colorados within the past 12 hours. Fairbanks would be a familiar face for some in the organization. Texas drafted him in the ninth round in 2015 and called him up for an eight-game cameo four years later. They traded him to the Rays in a regrettable 2019 deadline deal for . Fairbanks has become a high-leverage piece in Tampa Bay. Hes currently carrying a 2.75 ERA with 18 saves in 21 opportunities acro s 39 1/3 innings. This years 20.2% strikeout rate is a career low, which is a red flag, but hes averaging his customary 97 MPH on his fastball and would immediately be the top power arm in the Texas bullpen. Moses Brown Jersey