Early struggles won't keep this Marlins' reliever out of trade talks

Early struggles won't keep this Marlins' reliever out of trade talks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Over the offseason, the Miami Marlins and relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks came to terms on a free-agent contract. It was for one year, valued at $13 million, based on incentives.

This seemed to be a great deal, as Fairbanks was coming off a great season with the Tampa Bay Rays. He held a 2.83 ERA and had a career-high 27 saves.

However, he has not looked the part this season. He has struggled to maintain the consistency, holding a 7.88 ERA on just eight appearances so far.

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Early struggles won't keep this Marlins' reliever out of trade talks

Many of Fairbanks' run problems have come when he has pitched outside of the ninth inning. He had an opener that did not go well against the New York Yankees earlier in April, and he was tagged up a bit in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves the other week.

Outside of that, when he has pitched in the ninth inning, he has been nearly dominant. With that in mind, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller tags Fairbanks as one of the top trade candidates ahead of the deadline this year.