Bassitt writes heartfelt goodbye to Canada as he officially signs with Baltimore

Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt remained stuck on the free agent market until a few days ago when he signed with the AL East rival Baltimore Orioles. It's a solid move for an intimidating Orioles squad that wants to return to the postseason in 2026.

Frankly, it was a little mystifying why he didn't receive broader interest around the league. This is a guy who has posted good numbers over the last couple of seasons. Bassitt delivered a 3.96 ERA, 1.327 WHIP, along with 166 strikeouts in 170.1 innings last season. Plus, he is very reliable in terms of making starts. He's certainly not an ace, but his durability could rival that of Dylan Cease.

In any event, Bassitt made sure to broadcast his appreciation for Toronto baseball fans in a touching post right after the free agency signing.

Bassitt writes heartfelt goodbye to Canada as he officially signs with Baltimore

"… I’m beyond grateful that my family and I chose to come 3 years ago. From having our youngest son there to getting to a World Series and everything in between. It was filled with love and friendships that my family will cherish for the rest of our lives. We gave you everything we had. Yall gave us so much more. Thank yall for literally everything," wrote Bassitt.

For the Blue Jays, it always felt unlikely that they would re-sign the native of Ohio simply because of their rotation depth. While that depth has certainly taken a hit in the beginning of Spring Training, the club probably didn't express a ton of interest. Even with the injuries, the Blue Jays still have Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce and José Berrios as the likeliest alignment of starting pitchers come Opening Day.

The soon-to-be thirty-seven-year-old probably wanted to find a team that had a ready-made rotation spot assigned for him. The Orioles have upgraded their club offensively with the acquisitions of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward. They've remained quiet on the pitching front, aside from trading Grayson Rodriguez for Ward and re-signing Zach Eflin. Bassitt could seriously raise the ceiling on Baltimore's starting rotation.

Bassitt's tenure in Toronto will be remembered fondly. He and his wife were active in the Toronto community outside of baseball. On the field, Bassitt pitched selflessly during the playoff run last fall by making appearances out of the bullpen. While Bassitt missed the ALDS against the New York Yankees on account of back inflammation, he pitched really well when it counted most. Bassitt gave the Blue Jays an emotional lift whenever on the mound.

He sacrificed for the team, and his teammates always had good things to say about him. Bassitt found a role in Toronto and thrived with it. He made a difference in that clubhouse by holding guys accountable in the right way. It was Bassitt who spoke about the disappointing 2024 season and vowed to improve from it.

Orioles fans will fall in love with his tenacity and competitiveness and the $18.5 million price tag Baltimore is paying could become money very well spent when it's all said and done.