It happens all too often that MLB teams sign a player in their mid-thirties to a multi-year contract and eventually come to regret at least the final season of that deal. It’s part of the cost of doing business in many cases and is more or less universally understood across baseball.
However, every now and then, there’s an exception to the rule — and the Blue Jays may have found one in Chris Bassitt.
“The Hound Dog” was signed to a three-year, $63 million contract back in December 2022, covering his age-34 to age-36 seasons. The veteran right-hander had been a quietly elite starter for the Oakland A’s and New York Mets leading up to his deal with Toronto. He was exactly the type of innings-eating workhorse the Jays were looking for at the time — and still need today. In fact, I’d argue they should strongly consider keeping him beyond the 2025 campaign, even as he enters his age-37 season.
To start, Bassitt remains an effective starting pitcher deep into his career and shows little sign of slowing down. After another strong outing against the White Sox on Tuesday, he improved to 9-4 with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.352 WHIP across 19 starts, covering 106 innings. If not for a disastrous outing on June 28 — when he allowed eight earned runs in just two innings — his numbers would look even better. In fact, if you look closely at his Statcast page and his performance as a Blue Jay overall, this might be his best season in Toronto so far. The Ohio native continues to limit hard contact at an elite level, and there’s every reason to believe his stuff will remain effective moving forward.
Extend him for another couple years. https://t.co/J4kEzNw6cS
— Chris Henderson (@Baseball4Brains) July 9, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
While on-field performance is obviously a major factor, there are other reasons to keep Bassitt around, starting with his leadership. Following Tuesday’s win, Bassitt told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, “My only goal I have is to win a World Series,” and noted that he’d be happy to pitch out of the bullpen ahead of the All-Star break due to his low pitch count. That’s the kind of team-first, veteran mindset that every club needs — especially one like the Blue Jays, with a growing crop of young players in the clubhouse. Bassitt leads by example, and his value as a teammate and leader has become abundantly clear.
In addition to the value he brings on and off the field, there’s also a strong case that the Blue Jays will need him beyond this season — or at least need to find someone equally reliable. Bassitt’s contract expires after 2025, and both Kevin Gausman and José Berríos could follow him out the door after 2026. Gausman’s five-year deal ends that year, while Berríos has an opt-out clause he may choose to exercise. Beyond that veteran trio, the future of the Jays’ rotation is murky.
The team does have promising young arms like Alek Manoah, Trey Yesavage, Ricky Tiedemann, and Bowden Francis, but aside from a potential return by Manoah — which is still a question mark — none appear likely to begin the 2026 season in the rotation. There’s also talent deeper in the farm system, but those prospects are still a few years away from making an impact at the big league level.
Chris Bassitt said tonight that, given his low pitch count (78), he’ll be ready to pitch before All-Star break if the #BlueJays need him in a long relief or piggyback role.
“If a lot of [bullpen] guys are down, I can be up.”
“My only goal I have is to win a World Series.”
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 9, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
With all this in mind, would the Blue Jays consider bringing Bassitt back on another deal? My guess is yes — especially if the price is right. A two-year, $40 million contract feels like it could be in the ballpark, depending on how the rest of this season plays out, both for Bassitt and for the team. As Bassitt himself said, his only focus is winning a World Series. As long as the Blue Jays remain competitive and capable of contending, it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t be open to a return.
Of course, this likely won’t be addressed until after the season, especially with Ross Atkins and the front office currently focused on trade deadline plans. But unless there’s a major shift in circumstances, it would be wise for the Blue Jays to consider bringing Bassitt back when his current deal expires. He’s been worth every penny so far — and replacing him won’t be easy.