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Could Chris Bassitt return to the Toronto Blue Jays as a reliever?

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Nov 3 2025, 10:16 pm
Could Chris Bassitt return to the Toronto Blue Jays as a reliever?
Katie Stratman/Imagn Images

While it will take a while for Toronto Blue Jays fans to get over the 2025 World Series, their front office doesn’t exactly have the same time to grieve.

MLB free agency is right around the corner, as it opens officially on Nov. 6.

One of the tough decisions Toronto made that clearly worked out well these playoffs was the option to first leave 36-year-old starting pitcher Chris Bassitt off their playoff roster, and then later use him solely as a relief pitcher.

Bassitt is a free agent heading into the winter, after spending the last three seasons in Toronto.

But what does the future have in store for Bassitt? Well, if it’s up to him, it appears the man with the nickname “Hound on the Mound” wants another go in Toronto.

“I hope I have another chance with this group, I really do,” Bassitt said after the heartbreaking Game 7 loss, as per CityNews’ Lindsay Dunn.

Who do the Blue Jays have for starting pitchers next year?

The Blue Jays only have two established starting pitchers for next year: Jose Berrios (who did not play in the playoffs due to injury) and Kevin Gausman, who has one year left on his deal.

The Jays will also likely start next season with Trey Yesavage in the rotation, who couldn’t have had much of a better postseason after making his major league debut in September.

That leaves two likely spots for Toronto to fill out. Bassitt could be an option, as could fellow free agent 41-year-old Max Scherzer. Shane Bieber is still under contract with Toronto, but is likely to opt out of his $16-million salary this year to sign a long-term deal in free agency. Bieber still could return to Toronto, but would likely need to negotiate a new deal.

If Toronto doesn’t explore external free agent options next season, perhaps they opt to re-sign Bassitt and look to use him as a starter once again.

Other names in the mix include pending free agent Eric Lauer, who started 15 games this year for Toronto, and Bowden Francis, who got 14 starts. Lauer, like Bassitt, was also used as a playoff reliever, while Francis struggled mightily and last played in the MLB in June before being shut down with a shoulder injury.

What does Bassitt feel about his bullpen role with the Blue Jays?

Of Bassitt’s 232 regular-season appearances in the major leagues, 218 have been starts, but that number’s flipped come playoff time. He made three total playoff starts in 2020 and 2022 while with the Oakland Athletics and New York Mets, but all seven of his playoff appearances this year came out of the bullpen in the ALCS and World Series.

“I love it. I love being around the guys. It’s very, very different, obviously, not really understanding the bullpen guys and what makes them go and having conversations with them and seeing them do their preparation and their work,” Bassitt told reporters during the World Series.

“[The bullpen and starting pitchers] don’t ever overlap [during a game], so now getting to see what they go through and what they do and how many times the phone rings and things like that, it’s cool, it’s cool to see both sides.”

As for the actual feelings of pitching more frequently but with fewer innings, Bassitt seems to welcome the challenge.

“Recovery-wise, like, for me, personally, it’s cardio and recovery the day after I start, and then overall, I feel pretty good. Now it turns into an everyday thing. So it’s just more that I have to do, but at the end of the day, it’s okay,” he added.

In any case, we should have a better idea in the next few weeks if Bassitt will indeed get his wish to return to Toronto, and what kind of role that may be in.

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