Photo by Ed Delany of MMO
Free agent right-hander Chris Bassitt is attracting interest from the San Francisco Giants, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Bassitt enjoyed a solid first year in Queens but became a free agent after rejecting the Mets’ one-year qualifying offer. ESPN’s Jeff Passan has previously reported that the team would like to bring the veteran back, a sentiment echoed by Mike Puma of The New York Post. However, according to Puma, Bassitt is seeking a contract longer than three years in free agency while the Mets aren’t keen on going beyond that term.
In terms of this latest report, the Giants would make sense given their reported desire to bolster their rotation this winter. They have been linked to a number of the most notable free agent starters, including the likes of Carlos Rodón, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and Andrew Heaney. The latter has since signed with the Texas Rangers.
It is worth noting that the Giants have been in on some of the biggest prizes available this winter but, so far, they have come up empty every single time. They were all in on superstar slugger Aaron Judge before he decided to return to the New York Yankees, while Mike Puma of The Post reported that they also made an offer to outfielder Brandon Nimmo before he signed a contract with the Mets.
Bassitt is one of the best starters left on the open market. The righty posted a 3.42 ERA over 181 2/3 innings in 2022 for the Mets, securing a career-high in strikeouts with 167 and finishing with a 15-9 record. Bassitt also had a 6.6% walk rate and a career-best 48.8% grounder rate. He found plenty of success with his 72 m.p.h curveball, with hitters slashing just .156/.181/.195 against it and no home runs.
Perhaps more importantly, Bassitt proved he was durable last year by becoming the only Mets pitcher to start 30 games and record over 160 innings. He recorded 19 quality starts and could be relied upon in a good chunk of his starts to go deep in games and deliver the goods.
Bassitt’s track record extends beyond 2022 too. He became an All-Star for the first time in 2021 after posting a 3.15 ERA with a 12-4 record for the Oakland A’s in 2021, and he has been a solid and dependable starter for the duration of his career. He’s also a respected figure in the clubhouse and a player who could be a solid No. 2 or No. 3 starter for most teams in MLB.
With multiple reports suggesting that the Mets are still all in on signing Senga in order to beef up their rotation, it remains to be seen whether owner Steve Cohen is willing to spend the money to bring Bassitt back, especially if he wants a contract that exceeds four years. With the Mets having already dished out deals to Justin Verlander and José Quintana, Bassitt may have to take his talents elsewhere and the Giants would be a good fit given their need for starting pitching.
