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Blue Jays sign starting pitcher Chris Bassitt on $63 million deal: report

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Dec 12 2022, 9:30 pm
Blue Jays sign starting pitcher Chris Bassitt on $63 million deal: report
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the Toronto Blue Jays, Chris Bassitt.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Jays have signed the 33-year-old starting pitcher to a multi-year deal.

Bassitt, who finished in top-10 in Cy Young voting in 2020 and 2021, is Toronto’s first starting pitching addition of the offseason.

“Right-hander Chris Bassitt and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a three-year, $63 million contract, pending physical, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN,” Passan tweeted on Monday.

Bassitt had a 15-9 record with an ERA of 3.42 and 167 strikeouts in 30 appearances in 2022 while playing for the New York Mets. In eight career seasons for the Mets, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago White Sox, he has registered 46 wins, 34 losses, an ERA of 3.45, and 671 strikeouts.

“I think the key is sticking to your plan, but making sure you’ve worked through every scenario. Understanding where those opportunities are going to be, and where they are after someone comes off the market, is really important to work through before it happens,” Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said about improving the roster, per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.

Bassitt joins a Blue Jays rotation that includes Kevin Gausman, Hyun Jin Ryu, Alek Manoah, and Jose Berrios.

Manoah and Gausman are near locks for the top three rotation spots, while Ryu is hopeful of returning to his star form after missing much of 2022 with an elbow injury.

Meanwhile, Berrios is hoping to get back on track after an inconsistent 2022 season where he had a record of 12-7 with an ERA of 5.23 and 149 strikeouts in 32 appearances.

The move comes two days after the Blue Jays reportedly added free-agent outfielder Kevin Kiermaier.

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