SARASOTA, Fla. -- The first Spring Training workout for Orioles pitchers and catchers took place on Wednesday at Ed Smith Stadium, but president of baseball operations Mike Elias hadn’t ruled out making an addition to his roster. He remained tapped into the free-agent/trade markets in pursuit of upgrades, particularly on the pitching side.
Because of that, a new pitcher will be reporting to O’s camp in the near future.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt has agreed to a one-year deal worth $18.5 million with Baltimore, according to a source. The club has not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical.
Bassitt is receiving a $3 million signing bonus and can earn $500,000 in incentives if he starts 27 games, per a source.
Entering his age-37 season, Bassitt has proven he still has plenty left in the tank in recent years. The righty recorded a 3.96 ERA in 32 games (31 starts) for the Blue Jays last season, then allowed only one run in 8 2/3 innings over seven postseason relief appearances during Toronto’s run to the World Series.
Bassitt had a three-year stint with the Blue Jays, posting a 3.89 ERA in 96 games (95 starts) from 2023-25. He’s previously pitched for the White Sox (‘14), A’s (2015-21) and Mets (‘22), and he has a 3.64 career ERA over 232 games (218 starts).
The Orioles were looking for a reliable, durable pitcher who can be a quality arm, and Bassitt fits the bill. He’s made at least 30 starts each of the past four seasons, totaling 723 innings during that span. His lone All-Star nod came in 2021, but he finished 10th in American League Cy Young Award voting in ‘23, when he led the AL in wins (16) and starts (33).
Bassitt isn’t a high-strikeout pitcher -- his K rate has been steady around 22% over the past four seasons -- but he has a knack for inducing soft contact. He ranked in the 80th percentile in hard-hit rate (36.6%) last season and in the 85th percentile in average exit velocity (87.7 mph). He also had an above-average ground-ball rate, at 46.1%.
A sinker-heavy pitcher with a wide assortment of pitches in his arsenal -- he also has a cutter, curveball, four-seamer, sweeper, splitter, slider and changeup -- Bassitt’s most effective pitch in 2025 was the curveball, which he threw 16.3% of the time. Opponents batted .170 against it.
With Bassitt joining the mix, here’s Baltimore’s updated starting-pitching landscape:
- RHP Kyle Bradish
- LHP Trevor Rogers
- RHP Shane Baz
- RHP Chris Bassitt
- RHP Zach Eflin or RHP Dean Kremer
Other notable options in camp: RHP Tyler Wells, LHP Cade Povich, RHP Brandon Young, RHP Albert Suárez
Eflin is coming off back surgery, but he’s been full-go at the beginning of camp. So it seems likely the 31-year-old right-hander will be ready for the start of the 2026 season.
If that’s the case, the O’s could have a decision to make. Bradish, Rogers, Baz and Bassitt are locks for the rotation, and Eflin and Kremer have both been front-runners. However, that’s six starters for only five spots. (And it would guarantee that Wells would likely be moved to the bullpen, while Povich and Young could be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.)
It’s always better to have more pitchers than not enough, though. The Orioles experienced that during their injury-plagued 2025 season, when a slow start filled with injuries led to a 75-87 record and a last-place finish in the AL East.
So the O’s will hope all of their starters stay healthy while battling it out during Spring Training, and they’ll sort everything out when the March 26 opener vs. the Twins gets closer.
The acquisition of Bassitt could be the final move of a busy offseason for Baltimore. The Orioles revamped their roster by signing first baseman Pete Alonso (five years, $155 million), closer Ryan Helsley (two years, $28 million) and outfielder Leody Taveras (one year, $2 million), while also landing outfielder Taylor Ward (Angels), Baz (Rays), reliever Andrew Kittredge (Cubs) and utility man Blaze Alexander (D-backs) in trades.
If the O’s do anything else, it would likely be for another reliever, as their bullpen could use a bit more depth, as there’s a wide-open competition for a handful of spots featuring mostly lesser-proven options.