As expected, MLB free agency was slow this offseason, especially for pitchers. Usually, there are some signings early in the offseason, and that was the case for one of the top starters, Dylan Cease. The former San Diego Padres right-hander signed with the Toronto Blue Jays back in November.
Then, as expected, there was a lull before some of the other big names went. In fact, the biggest name to sign next was Michael King, who returned to the Padres. One team that was reportedly in on King was the Baltimore Orioles. Also reportedly in the mix were American League rivals, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
The dominoes for the starting pitcher market began to fall with Ranger Suárez signing with Boston and Framber Valdez with the Detroit Tigers. Next up was Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt, and he ended up signing with the Orioles.
Chris Bassitt Explains Reasoning For Signing With Baltimore Orioles
After spending the last three seasons in Toronto, the 36-year-old signed a one-year, $18.5 million deal with Baltimore. This was a signing that was necessary for the Baltimore Orioles to compete in the loaded AL East. Bassitt explained why he signed with Baltimore.
“Obviously, one of the biggest reasons, the number one reason, is a chance to win. And not just win a couple games, but win a World Series,” Bassitt said. “And I think this team has the ability to do that.”
That is certainly a bold take by Bassitt. Before Baltimore can even dream of winning the World Series, it is going to have to navigate through a tough division. Nobody should know that better than Bassitt after the last three seasons with the Blue Jays. Toronto and Boston made free agent splashes for their rotations, and New York will be getting Gerrit Cole back after he missed all of 2025.
Assessing Baltimore’s Chances of Winning the World Series
Baltimore was the surprise winner of the Pete Alonso free agent sweepstakes. They beat out the New York Mets and Red Sox for him. That was the bat BostonChief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow was targeting. The Orioles also traded for Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels.
As far as pitching goes, Baltimore is an interesting team. They were seen as the landing spot for Valdez. However, they couldn’t get a deal done. It feels like if Baltimore is going to win a World Series, they need a top-of-the-rotation arm. That would have been Valdez. Instead, they settled for Bassitt.
It’s a fallback option, but one that puts them over the top might be a stretch. Toronto and Boston have arguably better rotations on paper, and when healthy, so do the Yankees. However, injuries at any time can derail a team. There is some talk about a six-man rotation. Bassitt, Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Zach Eflin, and Dean Kramer could round out a six-man rotation.
Every team has a goal of winning the World Series in February. Bassitt is someone who saw it firsthand with Toronto last year and how hard it is to win. Baltimore is certainly going to be in the mix in the AL. As far as the entire league goes, it’s going to be tough beating the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chris Bassitt Reveals Blunt Reasoning for Signing With Orioles