Re-Signing Chris Bassitt Important For 2023 New York Mets

Despite his last two outings where he faltered, Chris Bassitt was an integral part to the 2022 New York Mets rotation, and should be atop their priority list to re-sign.

The New York Mets are slated to have a hectic offseason, with nearly half their roster set to hit free agency.

Among those players is right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt, who helped lengthen the team's starting rotation, and at times, was their most reliable arm.

Despite sputtering in his final two outings in Atlanta and in the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres, respectively, re-signing Bassitt should be a top priority for the Mets.

Bassitt, who turns 34 in February, was acquired by New York from the Oakland Athletics on the heels of Spring Training this season in exchange for pitching prospects J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller.

A 2021 All-Star, Bassitt also received Cy Young Award votes after putting together a 12-4 record, 3.15 ERA, 3.34 FIP, 3.93 xFIP and was worth 3.3 fWAR last season.

In his first season with New York, Bassitt pitched a career high 181 2/3 innings to go along with a 3.42 ERA, 3.66 FIP and 3.72 xFIP and was worth 2.7 fWAR. 

The 101-win Mets looked like they were in prime position to capture the National League East two weekends ago in Atlanta, needing just one win in the series with Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Bassitt each getting a start.

When that plan yielded zero wins, it looked like that same trio would get a chance to redeem themselves in the Wild Card round against the Padres.

The Mets won the middle game of the series behind deGrom, but neither Scherzer nor Bassitt had competitive outings.

While it's still fresh, the way Bassitt ended his season has left a sour taste in the mouths of Mets fans. But that shouldn't take away his accomplishments of the year as a whole.

The eight-year veteran pitched in 30 games and was a staple in the rotation all season, and even anchored it when both deGrom and Scherzer were down with injury during the summer.

This year's crop of free agent starting pitchers isn't exactly bountiful. DeGrom and Bassitt are two of the top names available, along with Carlos Rodón of the San Francisco Giants and Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros, but beyond that it falls off fast.

That's not a slight at Bassitt. If anything, it means that the Mets should prioritize bringing the Ohio native back because a replacement of his caliber is going to be a bit harder to come by.

Bassitt's current contract comes with a $19 million mutual option for 2023, with a $150,000 buyout. It's likely that he will explore the open market, however.

If 2021 was an indicator of anything for the Mets, it was that starting pitching is a premium.

When Jacob deGrom got hurt and with Carlos Carrasco sidelined, the Mets were forced to trot out players like Jerad Eickhoff and Robert Stock.

Bassitt being brought over from Oakland was a big part of the Mets rotation having the depth it did this season.

The Mets have a lot of work to do in retaining the players whose contracts are expiring, but Bassitt should be one of the first phone calls they make.

Read More:

- Mets' Chris Bassitt Not Focused on Potential Free Agency

- Why Trade Talks Between Mets and Cubs Went South

- Brandon Nimmo Hoping Wild Card Series Isn't Final With Mets

Follow Rob Piersall on Twitter (@RTPiersall), be sure to bookmark Inside The Mets and check back daily for news, analysis and more.