Chris Bassitt
Age: 33 (22/2/1989)
B/T: R/R
2022 Traditional Stats: 30 GS, 15-9 W-L, 181.2 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.145 WHIP, 167 SO, 49 BB
2022 Advanced Stats: 113 ERA+, 3.66 FIP, 22.4% SO%, 6.6% BB%, 3.2 WAR
Rundown
Having created a two-headed monster at the top of their rotation in Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, the Mets decided to get even more aggressive last offseason by trading for starter Chris Bassitt from the Oakland A’s in exchange for J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller. In doing so, they gave themselves a lethal 1-2-3 punch at the top of the rotation and a top three that could really set the tone in any best-of series in the postseason.
And, while deGrom and Scherzer both struggled to stay healthy in 2022, Bassitt proved to be a solid and dependable No. 3 starter for manager Buck Showalter. Bassitt pitched a career-high 181 2/3 innings last year, posting a 3.42 ERA to go along with a 3.2 WAR, a 15-9 W-L record and a 1.145 WHIP. He totalled 167 strikeouts – another career-high – had 8.27 strikeouts per nine innings, struckout at least 22 percent of the batters he faced, and walked just over six percent of batters he faced in total during the season.
Furthermore, the righty held batters to a .233 average against, recorded a BABIP of .282, and left roughly 77 percent of runners he inherited on base. In all, Bassitt carved out a very solid first year in Queens and his highlights include going 3-1 in April with a 2.25 ERA in 24 innings, going 4-0 in August with a 1.62 ERA in 33 1/3 innings, and striking out eight batters or more during nine starts throughout the season. The 33-year-old also struck out at least 20 or more batters every month, including striking out 35 in June.
There were lowlights, of course, with Bassitt posting a 4.70 ERA in the month of June, giving up seven earned runs in an ugly loss to the San Diego Padres in June, allowing eight earned runs and three homers to the San Francisco Giants in May, and giving up four earned runs in a tough and crucial loss to the Atlanta Braves in October. However, whenever Bassitt had a setback, he rebounded pretty quickly and his slumps never lasted long. He was a model of consistency for the Mets and provided everything and more you could want from a No. 3 starter.
Prior to landing at Citi Field, the eight-year veteran was drafted by the Chicago White Sox but he made his name with the A’s, pitching to a 3.56 ERA in 18 starts in 2015 before earning votes for the American League Cy Young Award in 2020 with a stellar 2.29 ERA to go along with 55 strikeouts and just 17 walks in 63 innings in the COVID-19 shortened season. He also struckout five and gave up just one earned run against the White Sox in the American League Wild Card series that year.
Bassitt earned his first trip to the All-Star Game in 2021 after pitching to a 3.15 ERA with a 12-4 record, to go along with 159 strikeouts and 39 walks. With Oakland pulling the trigger on a major rebuild, Bassitt’s fine 2021 season made him ideal trade bait and the Mets were able to add another quality starter to their rotation.
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Contract
Bassitt and the Mets avoided arbitration in 2022 by agreeing to a one-year, $8.8 million contract with a $19 million mutual option for the 2023 season. Bassitt officially turned down that option earlier this offseason in order to become a free agent, and it remains to be seen whether a return to Citi Field is on the cards.
According to Spotrac.com, Bassitt is projected to land a three-year, $63 million contract with an average annual salary of $21 million per year. Among pitchers with 300 innings pitched since the beginning of the 2019 season, Bassitt ranks 28th with a 123 ERA+. That is pretty good value for a pitcher who can either be a solid No. 2 option or a very, very good middle of the rotation guy. With pitching always at a premium, there will be teams willing to give Bassitt a three-year deal worth a total of $50 million or more.
Recommendation
Starting pitching is one of the biggest priorities for the Mets this offseason given that both Bassitt and deGrom are now free agents, not to mention Taijuan Walker who also opted to test the open market. With currently only Scherzer and Carlos Carrasco nailed down as dead certs in the rotation for the 2023 season, there is a lot of work to be done by general manager Billy Eppler and the rest of the front office.
With other needs to be addressed too, there’s only so much money that can be allocated to starting pitching and, if deGrom returns or the Mets sign Justin Verlander as a replacement, then it remains to be seen how much money the front office is willing to spend on building out the rest of the rotation.
Of course, owner Steve Cohen has deep pockets and the Mets know what they are getting with Bassitt; a dependable arm that can go long in games and get the job done on a consistent basis. The veteran delivered time and time again in 2022 and was able to stay healthy and answer the bell when called upon. With that in mind, Eppler should make it a priority to bring back Bassitt as a high-end No. 3 starter and maybe he can get Bassitt to accept a slight discount in order to spend the next few years competing for the World Series in a big market.
