Chris Bassitt removed any doubt about where he places responsibility for the Baltimore Orioles’ disappointing season.
It was not primarily on the president of baseball operations, Mike Elias.
The 37-year-old pitcher defended the executive who traded Adley Rutschman, Dean Kremer, Taylor Ward, and Tyler Wells before the deadline. Then Bassitt directed a much sharper message toward himself and the players who remained in Baltimore.
“I’m angry at myself. I’m angry at all the guys in here,” Bassitt told reporters Tuesday, according to BaltimoreBaseball.com.
Bassitt said Elias assembled a good team entering the season, but the players failed to uphold their end of the bargain. He also criticized the Orioles for failing to play clean baseball.
The comments landed while Baltimore remained close to a postseason spot. The Orioles were 58-62 and two games behind the final American League Wild Card entering Wednesday, according to MLB’s official standings.
That proximity makes the selloff especially divisive. Baltimore moved a three-time All-Star catcher and several established veterans without completely falling out of contention. Bassitt acknowledged that players could be frustrated by those decisions, but he argued that their own performance created the circumstances. It shifts the argument from whether Elias should have acted to why he had to act at all.
Bassitt’s Timing Makes the Message Hard to Ignore
GettyStarting pitcher Chris Bassitt #40 of the Baltimore Orioles acknowledges the crowd during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros in game one of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 30, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Bassitt has not insulated himself from criticism.
Before undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur from his back, the right-hander went 4-4 with a 5.27 ERA in 12 appearances. He acknowledged that he had not provided what Baltimore expected after signing him to a one-year, $18.5 million contract.
His health, however, appears to have changed. Bassitt posted a 1.98 ERA over 13 2/3 innings during three Triple-A rehab starts and said he no longer feels the back issue. His third outing consisted of six scoreless innings and could be his final rehab appearance, according to MLB.com.
Manager Craig Albernaz had not announced whether Bassitt would return as a starter or reliever. He could rejoin the Orioles during their upcoming series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Bassitt Defends Elias Without Excusing the Results
GettyBaltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias talks on the phone before the start of the Orioles and New York Yankees game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 08, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Bassitt’s defense of Elias was not a claim that everything had gone well. It was an argument that the roster’s failures forced the front office into painful decisions.
He also said that players with complaints should take them directly to Elias and Albernaz rather than airing specifics publicly.
That distinction makes his broader comments more significant. Bassitt did not identify individual teammates or disclose private disputes, but he publicly challenged the entire room—including himself—to meet a higher standard.
Now the Orioles must show whether the message changes anything.
If Baltimore mounts an unlikely late-season run, Bassitt’s words could become a rallying point. If the team fades, they may stand as the bluntest internal assessment of why a promising roster forced Elias to sell.
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