Chris Bassitt signs one-year, $18.5 million contract with Orioles

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In an American League East that looks competitive top to bottom, the Orioles made another move to solidify an area of need.

Baltimore and right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt agreed to a one-year, $18.5 million contract, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed on Wednesday.

Bassitt gets $500,000 in incentives as part of the deal.


Chris Bassitt #40 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch during the first inning.
Chris Bassitt of the Blue Jays throws a pitch against the Yankees last season. Jason Szenes / New York Post

The Braves were among the teams thought to be interested in Bassitt, Heyman reported in January.

The soon-to-be 37-year-old stays in the AL East after spending the last three seasons with the Blue Jays following a one-year stint with the Mets.

He continued to be an innings eater in 2025, throwing at least 170 frames for the fourth straight season.

Bassitt held a 3.96 ERA (and 4.01 FIP) with 166 strikeouts as the Blue Jays won the division and came two outs shy of their third World Series crown.

He pitched 8²/₃ innings — all in relief — in the playoffs and yielded just one earned run.

An All-Star in 2021 with the A’s, Bassitt has a 3.64 ERA and a 1.246 WHIP across 11 big league seasons.


Chris Bassitt
Chris Bassitt pitched the last three seasons with the Blue Jays after one year with the Mets. JASON SZENES/ NY POST

Baltimore has been active this offseason, especially in the pitching market by re-signing Zach Eflin, trading for Shane Baz and bringing in hard-throwing reliever Ryan Helsley on a two-year deal.

Ex-Mets slugger Pete Alonso came over on a five-year pact to bolster the offense.

The Orioles, with a combination of injuries and inconsistencies, finished last season with the fifth-worst pitching staff ERA at 4.60.

As of Wednesday, Fangraphs projected Baltimore to win 83.7 games — nearly three behind the Yankees — with a 53.7 percent chance to make the playoffs.

While Bassitt might not go 200 innings again as he did five years ago, he should be a stabilizing force for a rotation that needs it.

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