Orioles and Chris Bassitt finalize $18.5 million contract

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SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Right-hander Chris Bassitt and the Baltimore Orioles finalized their $18.5 million contract Friday.

After the past three seasons with Toronto, Bassitt is staying in the AL East with a deal that includes a $3 million signing bonus. He can earn $500,000 in performance bonuses if he starts at least 27 games.

Bassitt went 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 32 regular-season games for the American League champion Blue Jays last year. He had a 1.04 ERA with 10 strikeouts in seven relief appearances during the postseason.

An 11-year veteran who will turn 37 on Feb. 22, Bassitt has pitched at least 157 1/3 innings and made at least 27 starts in each of the past five seasons. Only once in the last eight seasons has he posted an ERA above 4.00. He has an 83-65 career record with a 3.64 ERA while pitching for the Chicago White Sox (2014), Oakland (2015-16, 2018-21), the New York Mets (2022) and Toronto (2023-25).

Bassitt joins a Baltimore rotation that includes Shane Baz, Trevor Rogers and Zach Eflin. Baz was acquired in a December trade with Tampa Bay, and Eflin re-signed with the Orioles for a $10 million, one-year contract.

After two straight years in the playoffs, Baltimore finished last in the AL East with a 75-87 record in 2025, when its starters ranked 24th in the majors with a 4.65 ERA.

The Orioles made a big splash in free agency when they signed first baseman Pete Alonso to a $155 million, five-year contract in December. They traded right-hander Grayson Rodriguez in a deal for outfielder Taylor Ward, then later added Baz and brought back Eflin.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb