The Toronto Blue Jays improved their starting rotation on Monday, reportedly signing veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt to a three-year contract.
Bassitt’s deal is worth $63 million pending his physical, per ESPN.
With rosters stacked all over the AL East, a solid rotation is needed to succeed. Toronto recognizes this and already has Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman and Hyun Jin Ryu. Jose Berrios is also in the rotation, although he has struggled since signing his $131million contract before last season.
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Chris Bassitt of the New York Mets in action against the Milwaukee Brewers during a game at Citi Field on June 14, 2022 in New York City.
(Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Now they’re adding Bassitt to the mix, and consistency is the name of his game. Over the past two seasons, Bassitt’s combined ERA is 3.29 over 339 innings of work on the mound. He also totaled 326 strikeouts during that span.
Bassitt does his job with precision in a league that has flamethrowers left and right on the bump. It worked a fastball in the 92-94 mph range, but it also has a cutter, slider, curveball and shifter – all with precision.
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Bassitt was traded to the New York Mets before the start of the 2022 campaign as the Oakland Athletics blew up their roster (Matt Olson was also sent to the Atlanta Braves as part of the rebuild). He signed a one-year contract for $8.8 million with a mutual option of $19 million for the 2023 season, which avoided arbitration.
However, after turning down that option as well as the qualifying offer, Bassitt relied on his strong 2022 numbers to land a bigger contract in free agency.
Chris Bassitt of the New York Mets in action against the Milwaukee Brewers during a game at Citi Field on June 14, 2022 in New York City.
(Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
While the Mets liked what Bassitt offered last season, they’ve already spent big with Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana and Japanese star Kodai Senga joining the rotation. But Bassitt is cashing in with an average annual value of $21 million on his new contract with the Jays.
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Like Bassitt, starter Taijuan Walker left the Mets rotation to sign elsewhere, joining the Philadelphia Phillies on a four-year, $72 million deal.
New York Mets’ Chris Bassitt throws against the Cincinnati Reds, Aug. 8, 2022, in New York City.
(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
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The Blue Jays went 92-70 last season, earning them a wildcard spot in the American League. They would fall to the Seattle Mariners in the three-game series.
Source : BBNWORLDNEWS
