{"id":113034,"date":"2026-01-28T11:56:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T16:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=113034"},"modified":"2026-01-28T12:00:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T17:00:49","slug":"chris-bassitt-is-still-a-free-agent-why-the-underrated-veteran-starter-is-a-perfect-fit-for-mlb-contenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/01\/28\/chris-bassitt-is-still-a-free-agent-why-the-underrated-veteran-starter-is-a-perfect-fit-for-mlb-contenders\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris Bassitt Is Still a Free Agent \u2014 Why the Underrated Veteran Starter Is a Perfect Fit for MLB Contenders"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest quiet surprises of the MLB offseason is that Chris Bassitt<\/a> is still a free agent.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s game, reliable starting pitching is harder to find than ever. Teams chase velocity, youth, and upside. Meanwhile, a pitcher who has spent a decade proving he can take the ball, eat innings, and compete in big moments remains available.<\/p>\n

Bassitt\u2019s career tells the story. Across stops with the Chicago White Sox<\/a>, Oakland Athletics<\/a>, New York Mets<\/a>, and Toronto Blue Jays<\/a>, the veteran right-hander has thrown more than 1,200 innings, posted an 83\u201365 record, and struck out nearly 1,200 hitters. His career ERA in the low-4.00s reflects consistency, not decline. He was an All-Star in 2021, but his real value has always been dependability.<\/p>\n

That dependability showed up again in 2025 with Toronto.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Aug 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At age 36, Bassitt went 11\u20139 with a 3.96 ERA, making 31 starts and topping 170 innings<\/a>. He struck out 166 batters and routinely worked deep into games. For a Blue Jays rotation hit by injuries, Bassitt became the stabilizer. He didn\u2019t dominate. He simply gave Toronto a chance to win every fifth day.<\/p>\n

His role grew even larger in October.<\/p>\n

During the Blue Jays\u2019 2025 playoff run, Bassitt proved he could help in more than one way. He started when needed and shifted into a multi-inning relief role in high-leverage situations. His calm approach, pitch mix, and experience allowed Toronto to deploy him strategically rather than out of necessity. That flexibility is rare \u2014 and valuable \u2014 in postseason baseball.<\/p>\n

So why is Chris Bassitt still unsigned?<\/p>\n

Age is part of the equation. Bassitt will turn 37 before Opening Day, and teams are cautious about long-term deals. But that caution creates opportunity. On a one- or two-year contract, Bassitt offers a high floor, minimal risk, and proven postseason reliability.<\/p>\n

Here are three contenders that make sense.<\/p>\n

Milwaukee Brewers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Milwaukee<\/a> continues to lean on pitching to stay competitive. After some turnover in the rotation<\/a>, Bassitt would bring veteran stability to a rotation that often mixes young arms with short-term solutions. His ability to work deep into games would protect the bullpen and help the Brewers navigate a tight NL Central race.<\/p>\n

Atlanta Braves<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Braves<\/a> have elite frontline starters, but depth wins championships. Bassitt would give Atlanta a trusted insurance option \u2014 someone who can cover innings during injuries and shift roles in October. His playoff experience fits perfectly with a team built to contend now.<\/p>\n

San Francisco Giants<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Giants<\/a> value command, intelligence, and adaptability. Bassitt checks every box. His pitch sequencing and ability to limit hard contact make him a strong fit for Oracle Park. For a team pushing to stay in the playoff picture, his consistency could be the difference.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Jul 7, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; General view of McCovey Cove at Oracle Park before the game between the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chris Bassitt isn\u2019t being signed to headline a rotation. He\u2019s being signed to strengthen one.<\/p>\n

A short-term deal at a reasonable price could end up being one of the smartest depth moves of the offseason. Bassitt may not generate buzz, but reliable pitchers rarely do \u2014 until October, when every out matters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest quiet surprises of the MLB offseason is that Chris Bassitt is still a free agent. In today\u2019s game, reliable starting pitching is harder to find than ever. Teams chase velocity, youth, and upside. Meanwhile, a pitcher who has spent a decade proving he can take the ball, eat innings, and compete […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5710,"featured_media":61157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"550","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,2,27,1071,31,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-braves","category-featured","category-brewers","category-mlb","category-giants","category-bluejays"],"modified_by":"Eddie Lennon, Staff Writer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113034"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113038,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113034\/revisions\/113038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}