Is Fairbanks a Fair Choice?

Yesterday, Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote an article taking an early look at the trade deadline, assessing the goal for each MLB team. For the buyers, he named a potential pickup who best fit that goal. Some of these conclusions were more dramatic than others (poor Colorado seems to be beyond fixing; they’ll have to console themselves with their gorgeous local scenery and ski resorts). The Phillies had a rather simple goal: “fix the bullpen”. The best fit for that purpose, per Passan? Pete Fairbanks, reliever for Tampa Bay.

Fairbanks currently has a 2.05 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP through 22 innings. His 12.8% walk rate isn’t very good, and he doesn’t induce a lot of chases, but he’s excellent at…