The Rays are picking up their contract options on both second baseman Brandon Lowe and shortstop Taylor Walls, but they declined to pick up the club option for reliever Pete Fairbanks, the team announced on Thursday.
Also among a bevy of other roster moves on Thursday, the Rays reinstated Walls from the 60-day injured list, claimed outfielder Jake Fraley off waivers from the Braves, selected right-hander Forrest Whitley to the Major League roster and designated outfielder Kameron Misner and infielder Bob Seymour for assignment.
Right-hander Garrett Acton was claimed off waivers by the Rockies, while righties Caleb Boushley and Alex Faedo, along with OF Stuart Fairchild, cleared waivers and will become free agents.
Lowe had an $11.5 million club option for 2026. This is the second year in a row the Rays have picked up his option -- Lowe had a $10.5 million option in ‘25 -- tacking two extra years and $22 million onto the six-year, $24 million extension he signed in ‘19.
“Brandon’s getting into a territory where [he’s] one of the most accomplished Rays position players in the franchise’s history,” said Rays president of baseball ops Erik Neander. “Offensive output for the position puts him in really good company.”
Lowe, who has spent all eight of his big league seasons with the Rays, was an All-Star for the second time in 2025. The 31-year-old slugger batted .256 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs in 134 games.
There is still a possibility that the Rays might trade him, though that now seems unlikely. Lowe’s .481 career slugging percentage ranks fourth in MLB history among primary second basemen, behind only Rogers Hornsby, Jeff Kent and Robinson Canó.
“A player we really appreciate for what he does on the field, contributions off the field, in the community, all of it,” Neander said. “We’re searching to find ways to put a good offensive unit together for 2026. Certainly seems like he’s an important part of that, and happy to have him back and have it picked up.”
Walls’ option for 2026 is for $2.45 million. Tampa Bay is also adding an additional club option onto his contract for the ‘27 season at $3.1 million. He would have been arbitration-eligible in each of the next two offseasons. The option for 2027 covers his third year of arbitration eligibility before he would enter free agency in ‘28.
The 31-year-old Fairbanks went 20-22 with a 2.98 ERA, 317 strikeouts and 90 saves across 275 appearances for the Rays, including two starts, after being acquired from the Rangers in July of 2019 in exchange for Nick Solak. He ranks among Tampa Bay’s all-time relief leaders in strikeouts (second), saves (third), appearances (fourth), wins (fifth) and innings pitched (seventh).
As with Lowe, there were rumors that the Rays could pick up Fairbanks’ option and seek a trade, but that turned out to not be the case. And with the team adding a pair of relievers this summer in Griffin Jax and Bryan Baker, the writing seemed to be on the wall for the six-year vet.
“Just a tough decision,” Neander said. “... Our bullpen has some depth to it. As we look forward, I didn’t have enough confidence that it was going to be a clean fit for us next year, given some of our other needs.”
The 29-year-old Walls hit .220 with four homers and 14 stolen bases in 101 games this season, which was his fifth with the Rays. He also was a finalist for the American League Gold Glove at shortstop.
Walls missed most of the last two months of the season with a left groin strain that required season-ending core muscle surgery on Sept. 3. He's expected to be ready for Spring Training.
“Impact defender,” Neander said. “Appreciate the player. Yeah, you can decline [his option] and go back in the arbitration process, or you can find a way to pick it up and have something that makes sense for both teams.”
Whitley was acquired by the Rays from Houston on June 13 and designated for assignment before being sent to the Minors, where he excelled. He posted a 2.60 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 0.99 WHIP across 55 1/3 innings in 13 appearances (12 starts) with Triple-A Durham this season.
Fraley provides some much-needed outfield depth, especially after the departure of Misner, who played in 71 games this season and became the team’s starting center fielder for a stretch this summer after Jonny DeLuca went down with a shoulder injury. It also marks a reunion of sorts between the two; the Rays originally drafted Fraley in 2016.
“Obviously, we have some history,” Neander said. “It’s been a little while, but he’s just a good at-bat. Effective player against right-handed pitching in particular, good defensive ability. He can do a lot of different things to help win games.
“No secret our outfield situation wasn’t the kind of output that we were hoping for, and just felt like the opportunity to claim him, given how we see the player, was worth bringing him in. We’ll continue to sort it out as we go forward here, but happy to have the opportunity to get him in right now.”
Seymour was the Rays’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2025 after hitting 30 home runs and tallying 87 RBIs while batting .263 with an OPS of .880 in Durham. The Rays selected Seymour's contract in August, but he struggled to a .535 OPS in 26 big league games.