DUNEDIN, Fla. -- It will feel so strange to see Chris Bassitt on the other side this season, pitching in new colors after his time in Toronto ended with the 2025 World Series run.
Bassitt signed a one-year, $18.5 million deal with the division-rival Orioles on Wednesday, per sources -- a great deal for the veteran right-hander who will turn 37 on Feb. 22.
The Blue Jays’ offseason additions of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, paired with the late-2025 emergence of Trey Yesavage, left little room in the Blue Jays’ rotation for Bassitt, but there’s still every reason to believe he has some good baseball left. Bassitt is made of rubber. When he reached the 200-inning mark in 2023, an emotional Bassitt called that his “only goal forever,” and he’s hit 170 innings in each of the years since.
Early on Thursday, before beginning his new chapter with the Orioles, Bassitt wanted to thank Canadian fans for their support over his three years in Toronto:
“Toronto and all of Canada … I’m beyond grateful that my family and I chose to come 3 years ago,” Bassitt wrote. “From having our youngest son there to getting to a World Series and everything in between. It was filled with love and friendships that my family will cherish for the rest of our lives. We gave you everything we had. Yall gave us so much more. Thank yall for literally everything.”
Bassitt and his wife, Jessica, embraced the experience of living in Canada and have both spoken openly about how much they enjoyed their time in Toronto, praising the organization for the work it’s done taking care of their family. The Bassitts also teamed with Jays Care Foundation for a program called Bassitts Pitch In, where they donated $10,000 USD for each Blue Jays win on days Chris started. The money donated helped to expand baseball programming for children and youth attending summer school across Toronto.
For someone who’s a starting pitcher at heart, it’s surprising that Bassitt’s time in Toronto ended in him pitching out of the bullpen during the World Series run, but he embraced that change and thrived in a new role down the stretch.
Bassitt’s Blue Jays career ended with a 3.89 ERA over 541 1/3 innings, making good on every dime of the three-year, $63 million deal that brought him north. He was particularly close with Toronto’s other veteran starters, especially Max Scherzer and Kevin Gausman, and Bassitt’s emotional interview in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse following the Game 7 loss to the Dodgers was one of the more memorable moments of that run, even amid the heartbreak.
“I love these guys … it’s hard to replicate true love,” Bassitt said that night. “You can try to replicate this. A lot of people will try, but it’s not really possible.”
Now, the Blue Jays will try to beat up on their old friend. It’s possible they get a quick taste in Spring Training, with the Blue Jays and Orioles playing twice this spring. The first regular-season series is scheduled for May 28 in Baltimore, then Bassitt and the O’s will travel to Toronto on June 5, when Bassitt will surely receive a warm welcome back home from fans in Toronto.