The Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Chris Bassitt are in agreement on a one-year deal worth $18.5 million. Bassitt, who will turn 37 later this month, joins the Orioles for his eleventh season in the majors and his fourth consecutive in the AL East after spending the last three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. Bassitt is an All-Star and boasts 83 career wins and an ERA of 3.64 over his career.
Orioles Add a Much Needed Starter
One of the main goals of the offseason for the Orioles’ front office was to bolster the starting rotation. While the team traded with the Tampa Bay Rays for Shane Baz, they still anticipated making another move to strengthen the rotation. Bassitt comes to the Orioles with a wealth of experience for a young staff to learn from. In 2025, Bassitt hurled 170 1/3 innings. He had a ratio of 3.19 strikeouts per walk and an ERA of 3.96 for the Blue Jays. Since 2022, Bassitt has started at least 30 games each season. In addition, Bassitt has produced at least 2 WAR in all but one year since 2018 with an ERA+ of 116 in that span.
Bassitt will join an Orioles rotation that already includes Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish and Baz forming a formidable top four in the rotation. Bassitt will bring consistency and dependability to the rotation that has seen Rogers and Bradish miss considerable time in the past due to injury. On top of that, the new member of the Orioles brings playoff experience to the team. In the Blue Jays’ journey to winning the AL Pennant and being a game away from lifting the Commissioner’s Trophy, Bassitt allowed only three hits and one run all postseason in six innings and seven strikeouts against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bassitt has earned a strong reputation around the league as one of the best teammates. He’s said, “Whatever they need, whatever they want, I’m gonna give my all… if you want me to be the water boy, I will.” The team will certainly ask more of him than carrying water, but with that attitude, Bassitt fits perfectly with a ball club determined to return to the postseason in 2026.
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