The Yankees are actively hunting for starting pitching this winter, and Chris Bassitt has emerged as a prime candidate to join their revamped rotation.
The 36-year-old right-hander just wrapped up his first season with the Blue Jays, posting an 11-9 record with a 3.96 ERA and 166 strikeouts. What really caught attention was his postseason performance – Bassitt dominated with a 1.04 ERA across seven appearances during Toronto’s World Series run.
Now that he’s hit free agency, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors thinks the Yankees will land Bassitt on a two-year, $38 million deal.
“Bassitt turns 37 in February, so he isn’t going to secure another three-year contract. He should be able to secure a two-year deal at a decent annual rate,” Adams said. “Bassitt still projects as a rock solid fourth starter who takes the ball every fifth day.”
The velocity isn’t what it used to be – his fastball sits around 91-92 mph now compared to the 93+ mph from earlier in his career. But Adams notes it’s still good enough stuff to project as “a 4.00 ERA type pitcher.”
That’s exactly what the Yankees need right now.
Rotation Needs Are Real
The Yankees are facing some serious holes in their starting five. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt will all start next season dealing with injuries, which puts even more pressure on finding reliable arms.
Getting Max Fried was a huge step, but they need another quality starter to pair with him. Bassitt’s track record speaks for itself – he’s made at least 27 starts in four of the past five seasons and brings 11 years of big league experience.
The former Athletic and Met knows the AL East well after facing these teams for years. That familiarity with the division could prove valuable as the Yankees try to bounce back from their World Series loss.
Two years at $19 million per season seems like a fairly realistic number for a pitcher who’s been remarkably consistent throughout his career. For a team that needs stability in their rotation, Bassitt checks all the boxes.
