Right-hander Chris Bassitt and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a three-year, $63 million contract pending a physical, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN, fortifying a deep rotation with one of the most consistent starters in the game over the last half-decade.
Bassitt, who will turn 34 in February, was among the most sought-after starters on the market and will receive the third highest per-year salary among free agent pitchers, behind Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander. Bassitt has kept similar company in recent years, as his 3.29 ERA since 2018 ranks 11th in MLB among pitchers with at least 100 starts.
The deal adds Bassitt to a rotation that already includes All-Stars Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman as well as Jose Berrios, who signed a nine-figure deal last year but struggled. The Blue Jays, who finished in second place in the wildly competitive American League East division, got swept in the wild-card series by the Seattle Mariners.
Adding a pitcher of Bassitt's caliber certainly helps them keep pace. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Bassitt has made a career out of confusing hitters with a wide array of pitches — a fastball at that sits at 93 mph but is located with pinpoint precision along with a cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. Bassitt was a late bloomer — a 16th-round pick out of the University of Akron who in the Jeff Samardzija trade went from the Chicago Cubs to the Oakland Athletics, where he became a rotation stalwart and well-regarded clubhouse presence.