One team that has made some notable splashes this offseason is the Baltimore Orioles. They dipped into the free agent pool and landed former New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. That was a big splash as they edged out one of their division rivals, the Boston Red Sox, for him.
They have also added some pieces, including outfielder Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels. Baltimore has also added some pitching. They acquired right-hander Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays and re-signed Zach Elfin. The top of their rotation is set, but there are questions surrounding the back end of it. There is one free agent pitcher remaining that would be a perfect fit, according to one MLB writer.
Baltimore Orioles Listed as a Perfect Fit for Free Agent Pitcher Chris Bassitt
David Schoenfield of ESPN listed some under-the-radar fits with some of the remaining free agents. One free agent he linked to the Orioles was right-hander Chris Bassitt. As a back-end of the rotation starter, a match with Baltimore makes sense.
“Bassitt has been the most dependable of the three with four straight seasons of 30-plus starts and a strikeout rate that has barely budged year to year, sitting between 22.2% and 22.6% each season. He’s entering his age-37 season in 2026 and doesn’t light up the radar gun, but his consistency and durability make him a fairly safe bet as a mid-rotation option,” wrote Schoenfield.
The Orioles are set at the top of the rotation with Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish. Grayson Rodriguez is expected to compete for a rotation spot in spring training, and with Eflin back in the mix, Bassitt would be a low-risk, high-reward back-end addition.
Orioles Make Sense for Chris Bassitt
Baltimore missed the playoffs for the first time in two years in 2025. That was in large part due to their starting rotation. Baz from the Rays is a nice addition, but Bassitt would be a veteran addition who is the definition of an innings-eater.
He made 31 starts for the Blue Jays last season and logged 170.1 innings, which was his fourth straight season of 170-plus innings. He went 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA and a 2.1 WAR. Jordan Leandre of Just Baseball predicted a one or two-year deal with an AAV of between $10-16 million. That would be a cheaper deal than swinging big for Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez.
“Raising the floor of the back end of the rotation with a pitcher as dependable as Bassitt could go a long way in improving Baltimore’s playoff odds. Not to mention, there’s precedent for the Orioles targeting arms with mileage, as they added Sugano along with Charlie Morton last winter,” Leandre wrote.
The Orioles need to keep pace in the American League East. The Toronto Blue Jays are loading up for another run, and the New York Yankees are bound to make a move. The Red Sox are the one team that is hard to figure out.
“Baltimore is one of the more underrated baseball markets in the league. When they’re good, that crowd shows out in droves. The lineup should see some positive regression in 2026, but the rotation needs a kickstart,” added Leandre.
Adding some pitching should make the Orioles a factor in a loaded AL East in 2026.
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