Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
After MLB and the MLBPA agreed on a new CBA and ended the 99-day lockout, it didn’t take long for the Mets to make a splash. Just two days after the sides came to an agreement, the Mets acquired Chris Bassitt from the Oakland A’s. The Mets had already signed Max Scherzer before the lockout, with Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker, and Carlos Carrasco already in the rotation. The acquisition of Bassitt gives a Mets rotation that may have had some health-related concerns a quality, dependable arm.
So who is Chris Bassitt?
Bassitt may not be a flashy name, but he has quietly put together a string of solid seasons since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2018. The right-hander has pitched to a 3.23 ERA over 412 innings over the past four seasons. He broke out in 2020 when he pitched to a 2.29 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 63 innings, earning him an 8th place finish in A.L. Cy Young voting. He followed it by pitching to a 3.15 ERA in 2021 while striking out 159 batters over 157 1/3 innings and making his first All-Star appearance. He led the American League in innings pitched before he was hit in the face by a line drive on August 17. Despite only pitching 6 1/3 innings after the injury, he still finished tenth in Cy Young voting. He is one of only nine pitchers with an ERA under 3.00, and over 200 innings pitched since 2020.
Despite being an intimidating presence on the mound at 6’5, 217 pounds, Bassitt is a pitcher who relies on location and movement more than power. According to Baseball Savant, his whiff percentage is in just the 32nd percentile, but his walk rate is in the 81st percentile, and his hard hit percentage is in the 88th percentile.
He has a unique pitching motion where he drops down and throws from a low release point with a long arm motion. Despite being 6’5, the average release point of his pitches is just 5.5 feet per Baseball Savant. His repertoire includes a fastball and a sinker that he throws in the mid-to-low 90s, a cutter that sits between the high 80s and low 90s, and a changeup that sits in the mid-to-high 80s. All of these pitches have close to league average break. However, his curveball and slider are the two pitches that stand out. His curve averages just 72 mph and has 13 inches of horizontal movement and a whopping 67-inch drop. League average is 10 inches of horizontal movement and a 53-inch drop.
Similarly, his slider averages 77 mph with 16 inches of horizontal movement and a 46-inch drop. Those are well above the league averages of 6 inches of horizontal movement and a 36-inch drop. Despite not using them as frequently throughout at-bats, the two breaking balls have become his two best put-away pitches, with each having whiff percentages of nearly 39%.
The Mets appear to have made a conscious effort to improve their clubhouse this offseason, and the acquisition of Bassitt is another move that helps in that department. Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio tweeted how Bassitt was praised for his leadership in Oakland and was loved by manager Bob Melvin. Former A’s pitcher Dave Stewart also had kind words for Bassitt following the trade.
I love Chris Bassitt. His leadership, competitive nature, the man that stopped losing streaks and the next day roots for his teammate. This man never makes excuses. He’s a media delight, never dodges the tough question, but you better be ready for his answer. Good luck in the 🍎
— Dave “Smoke” Stewart (@Dsmoke34) March 13, 2022
With the Mets deciding to focus on clubhouse presence, it is clear to see why they were willing to pay the price to acquire Bassitt. Despite playing his rookie year with the Chicago White Sox and being an Athletic, there are plenty of people in the Mets organization that would be familiar with Bassitt. In addition, the Mets acquired two of his Oakland teammates before the lockout in Mark Canha and Starling Marte for starters. Sandy Anderson also spent two years as the Athletics senior advisor of baseball operations in 2019 and 2020 before returning to the Mets.
What was the price the Mets had to pay? In the deal, the Mets sent right-handed pitchers J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller to Oakland. The Mets’ 2020 second-round pick, Ginn, switched from a power pitching approach to a groundball pitcher after Tommy John surgery. The 22-year-old was the Mets’ second best starting pitching prospect behind Matt Allan. According to Keith Law of The Athletic, Ginn projects as a mid-rotation starter who will be able to work deep into games due to his ability to endure ground balls early in counts. The Mets acquired the 27-year-old Oller in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft in 2019. While Law doesn’t believe he has much of a high ceiling, he was the Mets’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2021 and has the potential to make his MLB debut in 2022.
All things considered, both teams got what they wanted out of the trade. The Mets rotation, while it looks terrific on paper, has its fair share of injury concerns. By acquiring Bassitt, they are getting a pitcher who has been sneaking into the upper echelon while racking up innings over the last three years. Oakland receives two arms who could help now, and in the future, for a pitcher, they would most likely not be re-signing at the end of the year anyway. It did not come cheap, but the Mets made a move that puts them in a much better position to compete for a championship this year.
