Chris Bassitt pitched for the Blue Jays for four years and is now in Baltimore with the Orioles.
Speaking with the media on Monday, former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt told a hilarious story about how his family is handling his switch from the Blue Jays to the Baltimore Orioles.
Per Ayako Oikawa of MLB.com:
Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher and now a member of the Baltimore Orioles, Chris Bassitt shared a story about his children adjusting to the change.
He said his two children are still confused by the new bird logo and tell him, “That’s not the Blue Jays." They loved Ace.
On just a general human level, that's a funny story from a good family man. On a baseball business level, we often don't realize, or overlook, the impact that changing organizations can have on players and families. While this is a comical story, it's not always easy on families when business decisions happen.
About Bassitt
Now 37-years old, Bassitt is a 12-year veteran of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, Blue Jays and Orioles. A one-time All-Star, he's gone 85-67 in his career with a 3.68 ERA.
One of the more durable pitchers in baseball, he's made 27 starts or more in each of the last five years, and he also made a full 11-start workload in the COVID-shortened 2020 season (60 games).
He signed a four-year deal with the Blue Jays before the 2023 season, going 37-31 in those years and pitching to a 3.89 ERA.
His 16 wins in 2023 led the American League, as did his 33 starts. He pitched to a 3.96 ERA in 2025, and was integral to the team's bullpen in the playoff run to the World Series, throwing key innings throughout the postseason.
With the Orioles, he's 2-2 with a 5.46 ERA in six starts.
The Orioles are 15-20 and in fourth place in the American League East.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Denny Medley-Imagn ImagesCould the Jays have used Bassitt?
Given the injury issues to Shane Bieber, Bowden Francis, Jose Berrios, Trey Yesavage and Max Scherzer, of course they could have. But some of those injuries weren't known at the time when Bassitt was looking to sign, meaning that the two timelines just didn't line up.
Instead, he'll look to keep his spot in the Baltimore rotation and keep the Orioles relevant in the divisional race.
Elsewhere in Blue Jays news
The Blue Jays lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Monday night to fall to 16-19. The two teams will play again on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. ET as Kevin Gausman pitches against Drew Rasmussen.
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