Photo credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
Chris Bassitt elected free agency this off-season as his contract with the Toronto Blue Jays came to an end and it looks like he is getting quite a bit of interest from the San Diego Padres.
Bassitt seems to be gaining more and more interest over the last couple weeks as some of the better free agent pitchers have already signed their new contracts.
Padres eyeing Chris Bassitt
While Bassitt could still return to Toronto as a relief pitcher which he proved he can do in the playoffs, it seems unlikely at this point since there are quite a few teams interested in bringing him in as a starting pitcher.
According to reports, the Padres are one of those teams since they lost Dylan Cease this off-season and will be without Yu Darvish for quite some time which is why they could benefit from signing Bassitt.
"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. The 36-year-old won't command a massive deal at this point, but he just reached the 170-inning mark for the fourth straight season, and has been roughly league-average or better by ERA+ every year since 2018. That sounds like a nice insurance policy." -Billy Heyen
Bassitt might be on the backend of his career but proved last season that he could still be a very reliable pitcher as he finished with a 3.96 ERA in 170.1 innings pitched with an 11-9 record and 166 strikeouts.
Additionally, Bassitt is 36 years old but has pitched between 155 and 200 innings in every season since 2021 which is why he is so reliable and could be a great choice for any team looking for a starting pitcher.
While the Blue Jays could also benefit from bringing Bassitt back, they simply no longer have room for him in their starting rotation due to all the moves they made this off-season which is why it is unlikely to seem him return.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 27|498 ANSWERS San Diego Padres looking to steal Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Will the Blue Jays bring Chris Bassitt back? | ||
| Yes | 240 | 48.2 % |
| No | 258 | 51.8 % |
| List of polls | ||