Chris Bassitt’s free agency remains a mystery, but as spring training quickly approaches, rumors about where he’ll sign have begun to ramp up.
The veteran starter added intrigue to the situation on Sunday, posting a GIF on X (formerly Twitter) of two fighter jets from the hit movie Top Gun.
Nothing concrete has been reported about Bassitt’s next destination. But some have speculated that the right-hander’s latest social media post could provide some hints.
One of the teams Bassitt has been linked to is the San Diego Padres, who are the hunt for a starting pitcher after losing Dylan Cease to the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency. With Top Gun holding strong ties to the city of San Diego, could it mean Bassitt is bound for the Padres?
What Teams Are Interested in Chris Bassitt?
Bassitt was productive yet again for the Blue Jays, going 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 32 regular season appearances (31 starts) spanning 170.1 innings. He followed that up with seven relief outings in the postseason, allowing just one run across 8.2 innings.
While Bassitt doesn’t project as a frontline starter, the 36-year-old possesses the kind of consistency that contending teams covet over the course of a long season.
The right-hander has been connected to several teams in free agency, with MLB.com’s Andrew Simon calling the Padres a perfect fit.
“Even after bringing back Michael King, the Padres have to figure out a way to not only piece together the innings to get through the 2026 season, but also to fight for a playoff spot,” Simon wrote. “With Cease in Toronto and Yu Darvish sidelined, following last summer’s trade of Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert to Kansas City, roughly half of the team’s 2025 starts are now out of the picture for ‘26. That doesn’t count Joe Musgrove, but he’s working his way back from Tommy John surgery. A big-ticket free-agent solution would seem unlikely, and while you can never rule out A.J. Preller pulling off a significant trade, signing Bassitt would make a lot of sense as an alternative.”
What Might Chris Bassitt Cost?
By all indications, Bassitt isn’t likely to command a significant deal in free agency. That should only add to the interest in signing him. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel projected Bassitt — who turns 37 in February — to a two-year, $34 million deal this winter.
“Bassitt has been incredibly consistent since he became a full-time starter in 2019,” McDaniel wrote, “throwing the seventh-most innings (1087.1) and posting the 24th-best pitcher WAR (16.9) in that span. He’ll turn 37 in February, and his velocity slipped from 92.7 mph in 2024 to 91.4 in 2025, so he is likely limited to a one- or two-year deal. That said, his track record ensures he’ll land an AAV in the $15 million-plus area.”
Blue Jays Free Agent Posts Cryptic Message on Social Media