Former Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter is still keeping tabs on the team, and he recently heaped praise on the club’s most recent free agent addition.
Showalter appeared on the Ryan Ripken Show on Tuesday, February 17, to discuss the state of the team heading into the 2026 season. Ripken was quick to ask Showalter about the signing of Chris Bassitt, whom the manager coached during his time with the New York Mets.
“For the money and the commitment, and for all things considered, it might be the best signing of the offseason,” Showalter said. “I’m surprised that other teams didn’t jump on him.”
Buck Showalter Praises Baltimore Orioles For Chris Bassitt Signing
Bassitt lingered on the free agent market deep into the offseason. Baltimore finally landed the veteran right-hander via a one-year, $18.5 million deal on Friday, February 13. The Orioles wrestled him away from their AL East rival, the Toronto Blue Jays, an organization that had been rumored to be pursuing him.
The 36-year-old Bassitt was a consistent member of Toronto’s rotation over the past three seasons. He notched a 3.89 ERA across 95 starts with the team. Bassitt finished 10th in American League Cy Young voting in 2023. He wasn’t as effective in the years that followed, but his workhorse status can’t be questioned. Bassitt reached 31 starts in all three seasons with the Blue Jays.
Showalter saw firsthand the ability of Bassitt to perform like a frontline starter. The pair crossed over in 2022, Showalter’s first season managing the team. Bassitt recorded a 3.42 ERA across 30 starts in his lone year in New York. He was a crucial rotation member on a squad that won 101 games.
Orioles Boast Revamped Rotation Heading Into 2026
Baltimore finished 24th in starting pitcher ERA this past season. Tomoyuki Sugano, Dean Kremer, and Cade Povich led the team in games started. Sugano signed with the Colorado Rockies, Kremer is likely the No. 6 starter, and Povich is ticketed for Triple-A. Charlie Morton and his 5.42 ERA remain on the free agent market.
Bassitt will provide a veteran presence, but he’s far from the only addition. Baltimore orchestrated a massive trade to lure right-hander Shane Baz away from the Tampa Bay Rays. The 26-year-old stumbled to a 4.87 ERA in 2025, but his xERA and xFIP were about a run lower than that mark. Baz, a former top prospect, has battled injuries in his career but posted a career-high 31 starts last season.
Speaking of health, full seasons of Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish will be crucial for the Orioles. Rogers missed the first two months of the 2025 campaign with a knee injury. When he returned, he developed into one of the best left-handed pitchers in the American League. Rogers posted a 1.81 ERA with nearly a strikeout per inning through 18 starts. He allowed more than two earned runs just twice all year.
Bradish had elbow surgery in 2024. He made it back for a half dozen appearances at the tail end of 2025 and looked like his dominant self. Bradish limited opponents to nine earned runs over 32 innings. He racked up 47 strikeouts to just 10 walks.
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