Mets Strengthen Rotation With Acquisition of A’s All-Star Chris Bassitt

Bassitt, 33, made his first All-Star appearance in 2021.

The Mets executed their first post-lockout move Saturday in a major deal with the Athletics.

New York has agreed to acquire A’s All-Star pitcher Chris Bassitt in exchange for pitching prospects J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Can confirm the #Mets are acquiring Chris Bassit from the A’s. The return is JT Ginn and Adam Oller.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 12, 2022

A 16th round pick by the White Sox in 2011, Bassitt enjoyed the best campaign of his career in 2021—his seventh as a member of the A’s. He finished the year 12–4 with a 3.15 ERA in 27 starts (157.1 innings) as Oakland (86–76) failed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2017.

Bassitt’s standout year was briefly halted in August when he sustained a cheek fracture after getting hit in the face by a line drive. He would return a month later, and go on to finish in the top 10 of Cy Young voting for the second year in a row.

The 33-year-old right-hander has overcome a number of injuries since debuting with the White Sox in 2014, including Tommy John surgery in May 2016 that kept him off the mound for nearly two years. Since returning from the injury, Bassitt has posted a 3.23 ERA in 70 starts with 396 strikeouts in 412 innings.

With his time in Oakland now behind him, Bassitt heads to the Big Apple to create a potentially devastating rotation alongside multi-time Cy Young winners Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, who signed a lucrative deal in December; fellow first-time All-Star Taijuan Walker and 12-year vet Carlos Carrasco.

Saturday’s trade could signal the start of a widely-expected fire sale for the A’s as the club looks to rebuild. First baseman Matt Olson, another first-time All-Star, and three-time Gold Glove winner third baseman Matt Chapman are among the names reportedly considered to be on the trade block.