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Two years ago today: The Blue Jays sign Chris Bassitt
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Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Dec 16, 2024, 16:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 16, 2024, 16:02 EST
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Two years ago, the Toronto Blue Jays made a move.
On Dec. 16, 2024, the Blue Jays signed Chris Bassitt to a three-year, $63 million deal with an annual salary of $21 million a season.
Bassitt was coming off a solid season with the New York Mets, where he had a 3.42 ERA and a 3.66 FIP in 181.2 innings pitched, along with a 22.4 K% and a 6.6 BB%. His career year in a full season came in 2021 though, where he had a 3.15 ERA and a 3.34 FIP in 157.1 innings pitched, with a 25 K% and a 6.1 BB%.
Leading up to his signing, Bassitt had a career 3.45 ERA and a 3.81 FIP in 737.1 innings pitched, with a 21.7 K% and a 7.4 BB% with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and Mets.
Bassitt had a 3.60 ERA and a 4.28 ERA in his first season with the Blue Jays, along with a 22.5 K% and a 7.1 BB% for a 2.5 fWAR. The 2023 season is still a career-high in innings pitched, and he was one of just five pitchers with 200+ innings pitched that season, the others being Loggan Webb, Zac Gallen, Gerrit Cole, and Miles Mikolas.
The 2024 season was a step back though, as Bassitt had a 4.16 ERA and a 4.08 FIP in 171 innings pitched, with a 22.2 K% and a 9.2 BB%. Bassitt’s 4.16 ERA was a career-worst (minimum 50 innings pitched) and was the first time in his career it sat above four, aside from a 6.11 ERA in 28 innings pitched in 2016.
Still, Bassitt eats innings for the Blue Jays and produces solid results each season. Next year, Fangraphs’ Steamer predicts he’ll pitch 179 innings with a 4.07 ERA and a 4.14 FIP, with a 21.6 K% and a 7.8 BB%. At the end of the day, the Blue Jays will take that from the back end of their rotation.
The 2025 season will be Bassitt’s last under contract with the Jays, hopefully, they can bring him some postseason success.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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