The Toronto Blue Jays fell just short of their ultimate goal in 2025, losing the World Series in seven games to the now back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Blue Jays gave the Dodgers everything they had, losing Game 7 in 11 innings after leading up until the ninth inning. All in all, it was a hard-fought series, and one that put Toronto on the map as a true powerhouse in MLB.
The Blue Jays don’t have time to sulk after their World Series loss, though, as the offseason is already underway and Toronto lost six key players to free agency.
Read more: Blue Jays Lose 6 Players to Free Agency After Falling Short in World Series
The Blue Jays’ biggest free agent is Bo Bichette, who is going to sign a six-figure contract. However, right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt is also now a free agent, and made his intentions known about where he wanted to continue his career.
“I hope I have another chance with this group, I really do,” Bassitt said in the clubhouse after Game 7, fighting back tears. “I love this group, I love these guys. But you just never know. But I would love to have another shot with this group.”
Bassitt won’t come cheap after a strong 2025 campaign where he had a 3.96 ERA across 170.1 innings, and an even better postseason where he had a 1.04 ERA across 8.2 innings as a reliever. According to The Athletic’s Tim Britton, he should be in line for a contract at two years and $46 million. Britton predicted Bassitt and right-hander Merrill Kelly to get identical contracts.
“One starting pitching deal that’s going to pay dividends for the rest of the market is the two-year, $46 million extension that Seth Lugo signed with the Kansas City Royals over the summer. That deal covers Lugo’s age-36 and age-37 seasons, and it sets a nice bar for veterans such as Kelly and Bassitt who are in the short-term market,” Britton wrote.
“Kelly and Bassitt are coming off better seasons than Lugo, though Lugo was one year removed from a Cy Young runner-up finish. That just about evens it out, and I would expect Kelly and Bassitt to be right in the neighborhood of Lugo’s deal.”
Entering his age-37 season, this deal makes perfect sense for Bassitt. As for Toronto, they’ll likely get the first crack at bringing him back after he spent the last three years with the organization.
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