Blue Jays Adding Ex-Mets Starter Chris Bassitt To Deep Rotation

Chris Bassitt is heading to the Toronto Blue Jays after one season with the New York Mets. He joins a rotation that already includes Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, Yusei Kikuchi, Hyun Jin Ryu and José Berríos.

The Blue Jays are bolstering their already-deep rotation.

Toronto has an agreement with right-hander Chris Bassitt, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The deal, pending a physical, is for three years and will pay Bassitt $63 million.

The 33-year-old spent the 2022 season with the Mets after they acquired him from the Athletics in March. Bassitt established himself as a consistent rotation presence during his six years in Oakland after debuting with the White Sox in 2014.

Bassitt owns a 3.29 ERA since 2018 and earned his first All-Star nod in 2021. He set career-highs with 15 wins, 30 starts, 167 strikeouts and 181.2 innings while recording a 3.42 ERA in his lone season with the Mets. 

Bassitt has a 46-34 record with a 3.45 ERA for his eight-year career.

Toronto is adding to a formidable rotation by singing Bassitt. The Jays' starting options already included Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, Yusei Kikuchi, Hyun Jin Ryu, José Berríos and Mitch White, among others. Manoah and Gausman both received Cy Young votes this past season.

With so many choices, Toronto could deal from an area of strength as it looks to build on a second-place finish in the American League East. The Blue Jays made the playoffs as a wild card team in 2022 but were swiftly swept by the Mariners.  

According to the Fanduel.com gambling website, the Blue Jays are at plus-1500 odds to win the 2023 World Series, the eight-lowest total. In the American League East, though, only the New York Yankees — at plus-650 — have lower odds. To see all of the World Series odds, and where the Blue Jays stand, CLICK HERE

The Mets, meanwhile, have now lost two prominent members of their 2022 rotation, with Bassitt joining Rangers' signee Jacob deGrom. New York has signed Justin Verlander, José Quintana and Kodai Senga, however.