The Miami Marlins enter the 2026 season with the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball, set at $73 million according to FanGraphs. Despite this financial disadvantage, the team is taking intentional steps to remain competitive by adding players with proven success to its existing roster.
Among the key additions is former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, who signed a one-year deal to strengthen Miami’s bullpen. Fairbanks, known for finishing over 30 games per season in each of the last three years with at least 20 saves in each campaign, is expected to stabilize the Marlins’ late-inning pitching.
Fairbanks Sees Echoes of Rays Success in Miami
In an interview alongside Robert Flores and former MLB outfielder Cliff Floyd of MLB Network, Fairbanks reflected on his time with Tampa Bay, a team with a similarly low payroll that reached the 2020 World Series and continued playoff contention through the following seasons. He sees parallels between those Rays teams and the current Marlins squad.
It definitely has that feel to it, of the Rays teams that I was a part of early on,
Fairbanks said.
Seems like we’ve got a lot of versatile athletes, and you’ve got some pitchers who are catching people by surprise and then you got your frontline starters like we did in ’19, ’20, ’21.
I think the talent is there, the pieces are there and hopefully it all comes together.
Comparing Team Construction and Potential Impact
While Tampa Bay’s success largely relied on strong pitching and timely hitting, Miami’s roster leans more toward contact hitters with a handful of pitchers poised for growth. The presence of ace Sandy Alcantara in the starting rotation, especially if he remains healthy, adds significant strength to the pitching staff.
With Fairbanks in the closer role, the Marlins are expected to improve their ability to secure wins in close games down the stretch. This veteran presence could make a noticeable difference compared to last season’s bullpen performance without him.
Young Talent Could Fuel Miami’s Playoff Aspirations
The Marlins’ clubhouse features numerous young players eager to establish themselves in the major leagues. This blend of youthful energy and experienced leadership has historically propelled teams toward postseason contention. Given these factors, Miami may soon reemerge as a contender worthy of playoff consideration again.
Pete Fairbanks joined the @Marlins on a one-year deal this offseason after spending 7 seasons with the Rays!
Miami's closer discussed the free agency process and fine-tuning his pitches this winter with @CliffFloyd30 and @RoFlo.
📺 30 Clubs, 30 Camps pic.twitter.com/LFJFqMH7yS
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 4, 2026
