The words are still fresh.
In the raw aftermath of the World Series loss to the Dodgers, Chris Bassitt stood in front of cameras and called the Blue Jays “my favorite group I’ve ever played with.”
Coming from a veteran entering his 11th MLB season, it sounded final—like the closing chapter of a meaningful run.
Three months later, that statement is being replayed with a very different tone.
According to longtime MLB insider Jon Heyman, Bassitt is now drawing serious interest from an American League East rival.
Not a neutral landing spot. Not a quiet reset. A division opponent—one Toronto sees far too often.
The Baltimore Orioles.
On paper, it makes sense. The Orioles missed out on Framber Valdez, who signed a five-year deal with Detroit. They need innings. They need reliability.
And Bassitt, even at age 36, remains one of baseball’s most dependable workhorses.
Emotionally, though, the situation lands differently.
Bassitt is coming off a three-year, $63 million contract in Toronto and was one of the Blue Jays’ most trusted arms when it mattered most.
Even while dealing with a back injury that kept him out of the ALDS, he found a way to contribute—shifting into an unfamiliar bullpen role and delivering 8 2/3 postseason innings while allowing just one earned run.
That adaptability didn’t go unnoticed in the clubhouse.
It also didn’t go unnoticed around the league.
Baltimore’s interest reflects more than desperation. Over the past four seasons, Bassitt has logged at least 170 innings every year, peaking at 200 in 2023.
On the Orioles’ staff last season, only Dean Kremer crossed that threshold—and barely. Their next-heaviest workload came from Tomoyuki Sugano, who hasn’t reached 170 innings since 2018.
Bassitt offers something increasingly rare: predictability.
His 3.77 ERA across 723 innings over the last four seasons isn’t flashy, but it’s reliable.
Analysts like MLB.com’s Travis Sawchik have even gone further, calling Bassitt “undervalued” in a market that seems obsessed with velocity and upside.
The metrics support that argument. His curveball improved significantly in 2025, and his full-season SIERA (3.92) suggests he’s still operating above league average—even as raw stuff declines.
In other words, there’s fuel left.
So why does this potential move feel so loaded?
Because timing matters.
Toronto isn’t just losing a pitcher.
They’re facing the possibility of seeing a recent World Series contributor take the mound against them in meaningful division games—armed with intimate knowledge of their hitters, tendencies, and pressure points.
And Bassitt hasn’t said anything yet.
No clarifications. No reaffirmations. Just market noise and speculation filling the space where certainty used to live.
To be clear, free agency isn’t betrayal. Players follow opportunity. Teams do the same. But when a veteran speaks so openly about connection, then drifts toward a rival so quickly, fans naturally start asking questions.
Was Toronto ever really in the picture for a return?
Did the market cool faster than expected?
Or is this simply the reality of a league where loyalty ends at the contract line?
Bassitt’s postseason résumé only complicates the conversation. Since 2020, he owns a 3.04 ERA across 10 playoff games.
He’s proven he can adapt, adjust, and contribute in any role—even one he hadn’t occupied in six years.
Those traits make him attractive.
They also make the idea of facing him uncomfortable.
Nothing is signed yet. Baltimore has other names on its list. Bassitt remains a free agent. But the direction of the reporting alone has shifted the narrative—from fond farewell to uneasy wait-and-see.
The Blue Jays may not be able to control where Bassitt lands next.
But if he does cross the AL East line, one thing is certain: those post-World Series words will be remembered—every time he takes the ball against Toronto.
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