Blue Jays veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt played a small but absolutely pivotal role in Toronto’s run to Game 7 of the World Series last year. After missing the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees with an injured back after making 31 regular-season starts at age 36, Bassitt came out of the bullpen to stifle the Seattle Mariners in the AL Championship Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series — putting up a stellar 1.04 ERA in 8⅔ innings.
But the World Series marked the last time that Bassitt would pitch for Toronto. His three-year, $63 million contract expired once the Blue Jays were eliminated, and Bassitt entered free agency after 11 big-league seasons.
That Bassitt even got to that point is remarkable. The Toledo, Ohio, native was drafted in the 16th round in 2011 by the Chicago White Sox, out of the University of Akron. The Blue Jays were his fourth team, and now according to a report posted on the MLB.com Latest Free-Agent and Trade Rumors page on Wednesday, his next could end up being the New York Mets.
Link to Mets ‘Makes Sense’
With the reports Wednesday that outfielder Cody Bellinger re-signed with the New York Yankees, only six of an MLB.com list of the 30 most important free agents remain on the board. Bassitt ranked at No. 29 on that list. Former Boston Red Sox hurler Lucas Giolito was placed in the No. 30 spot. But like most of the other five, Bassitt’s quest for a contract with a new club has been uneventful so far.
According to the MLB.com report, that may change soon.
“The last two players on Feinsand’s top 30, these two right-handers (Bassitt and Giolito) are at the head of a cluster of serviceable rotation arms who are still unsigned,” the MLB.com report stated. “It would make sense to assume that pitching-needy teams such as the Orioles and Mets could also be interested in these veteran hurlers.”
Mets Could Still Use Reliable Arm
The Mets certainly strengthened their rotation on Wednesday when they acquired Milwaukee Brewers two-time All-Star righty Freddy Peralta in exchange for two of the New York organization’s top prospects.
But the Mets rotation remains dependent on pitchers coming off injuries, including Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea.
Bassitt, despite his back injury late last season, has been one of the most reliable pitchers in the game, even heading into his age-37 season. Signing with the Mets would bring him back to the place where he pitched in 2022, making 30 starts with a solid 3.42 ERA in 181⅔ innings.
The right-hander then signed with the Blue Jays and turned in seasons of 33, 31 and 31 starts with an ERA of 3.89 in 541⅓ innings.
New York MLB Expert Predicts Bassitt to Mets
Earlier in January, Anthony McCarron of the New York sports cable network SNY also predicted that Bassitt would end up back with the Mets.
“He can help the Mets now and exudes a toughness that, frankly, the current group could use,” McCarron wrote. “Bassitt pitched brilliantly out of the bullpen for Toronto last October and provided reliable innings as a starter in three years there. Teams love versatility! So the Mets sign him as a hybrid pitcher.”
With time running out on the offseason, Bassitt should know soon whether the Mets’ reported interest is real or not.
Blue Jays $63 Million World Series Hero Generates Interest From NL Contender