Five Best Trade Fits for Blue Jays’ Chris Bassitt at the Deadline

Chris Bassitt is, quietly, one of the most steady pitchers baseball has to offer. Since the start of the 2019 season, Bassitt is 66-36 with a 3.43 ERA and 3.89 FIP across more than 860 innings pitched. He’s done that while pitching for three teams in entirely different markets: the Oakland Athletics, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays.

The second season of a three-year, $63 million deal with Toronto has gone well for Bassitt individually, as he has a 3.71 ERA across 20 starts. It hasn’t gone as well for the Blue Jays, who are in last place in the AL East and a clear seller as the July 30 trade deadline approaches.

To what extent Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins will be willing to sell could determine how interesting of a trade deadline this is. The team has long been rumored to be willing to sell players on expiring contracts.

Rentals like LHP Yusei Kikuchi, DH Justin Turner and catcher Danny Jansen will almost certainly be dealt. Kikuchi and Jansen have already come up in trade rumors this summer.

However, it doesn’t seem that the team’s two core lineup pieces — first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Bo Bichette — are likely to be moved.

Somewhere in between those two groups are super-utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa, righty Kevin Gausman and Bassitt.

While the Blue Jays seem to have intentions of contending again in 2025, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports the team is now open to trading more than just rentals. In the same report, Morosi mentioned that “a strong contingent of scouts” came to Toronto ahead of Bassitt’s last start.

With that in mind, here is a look at five landing spots if the Blue Jays do end up trading the 35-year-old Bassitt. It is worth pointing out that he has an eight-team no-trade clause, but it’s unknown which teams are included.

Chris Bassitt Trade Deadline Fits

Cleveland Guardians

From a baseball sense, the Guardians are probably the best fit for Bassitt. They lead the AL Central thanks to a strong lineup and elite bullpen but currently have a starting rotation led by Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively.

To have any chance to realistically compete in October, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti is going to have to add at least one starter that can pitch early in a postseason series.

Bassitt may not be an ace, but right now he would probably slot in as the No. 2 starter in manager Stephen Vogt’s rotation. He would also give Cleveland a veteran presence near the top of their rotation in 2025.

The only question here is whether the Guardians would be willing to take on the $22 million salary Bassitt is due next season. It’s hardly an unfair price, especially when you consider that former AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber’s $13.125 million salary from 2024 will be coming off the books.

It’s just a matter of whether owner Larry Dolan will give his front office enough money to work with.

St. Louis Cardinals

The jokes about president of baseball operations John Mozeliak acquiring another starter in his mid-30s kind of write themselves. Then again, the Cardinals have already been linked in rumors to Erick Fedde of the Chicago White Sox, so Mozeliak’s interest in adding another veteran starter seems to be real.

What’s more, Bassitt would currently be the No. 2 starter in the rotation for the Cardinals behind Sonny Gray, potentially helping St. Louis to usurp the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central (and win a Wild Card spot if not).

Not only would Bassitt be a superior option than Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn in 2024, but he would be a better value than either in 2025. Gibson has a $12 million club option for his age-37 season in 2025. Lynn has an $11 million club option for his age-38 season in 2025.

With Bassitt, the Cardinals would be getting a better pitcher. Paying him $22 million rather than one or both of Gibson and Lynn would be wise.

Houston Astros

For as much of a hole as they dug themselves early in the season, the Astros are now neck-and-neck with the Seattle Mariners at the top of the AL West. General manager Dana Brown insisted all along that the Astros would be buyers, and that will surely end up being the case.

Houston’s starting rotation has been devastated by injuries this season. Justin Verlander is on the IL with neck discomfort, oft-injured righty Lane McCullers Jr. has yet to pitch this season, Luis García is working his way back from Tommy John surgery that he had in May of 2023 and the duo of Cristian Javier and José Urquidy each had season-ending Tommy John surgery in June.

Bassitt would give manager Joe Espada a reliable arm in his rotation for the rest of the season, one with some postseason experience. He would also be under control for one more campaign, which is valuable considering the 41-year-old Verlander’s future with the Astros is uncertain, and we know that if Javier and Urquidy pitch at all in 2025, it won’t be until late in the year.

Milwaukee Brewers

The story with the Brewers is almost identical to that of the Guardians. They are in first place in the NL Central, have some horses in their bullpen and quite a few productive pieces in their lineup.

The question is whether ownership will be content with just making a playoff appearance or will be willing to spend a little more in pursuit of the franchise’s first World Series title.

For what it’s worth, Milwaukee is rumored to be interested in “all pitching” ahead of the deadline, per FanSided’s Robert Murray.

Bassitt would go great as the No. 2 starter to pair with Freddy Peralta and give the Brewers a pretty respectable rotation to try to hold onto the NL Central title, given how well rookie Tobias Myers and veteran Colin Rea have pitched.

In theory, Bassitt’s addition would set the Brewers up to have one of baseball’s better rotations in 2025, when two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff returns.

Woodruff is also set to make an affordable $5 million in 2024, so it’s not as though he’s making such a high amount that it would prevent Milwaukee from being able to take on Bassitt’s salary. At least it shouldn’t.

Atlanta Braves

Spencer Strider is lost for the season, and while Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Max Fried were each All-Stars, that trio has durability concerns of their own. Since pitching in the Midsummer Classic, Fried has already been placed on the injured list with left forearm neuritis.

Bassitt would give the Braves insurance if one of Sale, López or Fried isn’t healthy when the postseason rolls around. If all three are healthy, Atlanta is bound to need a fourth starter at some point in the postseason, and Bassitt could fill that role.

Additionally, it’s unclear exactly when Strider will be ready to pitch in 2025. Fried is a free agent after the season. Charlie Morton, who will turn 41 in November, may very well retire.

Bassitt could replace Morton as the veteran righty in the rotation, and given that Morton is making $20 million this season, Bassitt’s $22 million salary in 2025 would be affordable for the Braves.