Where will Chris Bassitt sign this winter and for how much?

One of the major storylines for the New York Mets heading into this offseason includes the number of starting pitchers that have hit the free agent market. Those starters include Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker, and Chris Bassitt. The 33-year-old Bassitt opted out of his contract earlier this month that would've paid him $19 million in 2023 in order to cash in on a multi-year deal. Bassitt also rejected the Mets qualifying offer which will award the Mets draft pick compensation should he decide to sign elsewhere.

The multi-million dollar question is where Bassitt will ultimately end up when all of the smoke settles. Bassitt has been a model of consistency on the mound for both the Oakland Athletics in previous seasons and also the Mets in 2022. Last season in Queens, Bassitt had posted a solid 3.42 ERA over 30 starts with a great 1.145 WHIP. He also posted a WAR of 3.2 and struck out 167 batters over 181.2 innings of work. Those are numbers that will reward the former Met a decent payday this offseason.

There will certainly be no shortage of suitors interested in Bassitt's services and it's fair to believe that Bassitt will be one of the first pitchers in line to sign a deal once some of the bigger names on the open market find homes. Those names would include Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Carlos Rodon, and international free agent Kodai Senga. Bassitt represents the front of the line for the next tier of starting pitchers who are available.

Former Mets starting pitcher Chris Bassitt will have plenty of suitors once the bigger dominoes start to fall in free agency

First and foremost I believe the Mets will certainly be one of the teams who will be interested in signing Bassitt this winter depending on how the cards are dealt on those aforementioned pitchers above. I believe the Mets will want to nab at least one of the top four starting pitchers available on the market, specifically a reunion with Jacob deGrom, and then look to shore up the remaining two rotation spots on the second tier of starting pitchers, which makes a reunion with Bassitt a realistic possibility.

In regards to other teams who may be interested in signing Bassitt this winter, I would look at teams such as the Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago Cubs as potential suitors outside of the Mets. It is already in fact beingreported by The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma that the Cubs are already showing interest in signing Bassitt.

When you look at the bigger picture it's tough to find proven players that can come to New York and not miss a beat in their first season in regards to performance, as well as not let the bright lights of the city overwhelm them. Despite a rough postseason outing, Bassitt was an effective member of the Mets rotation and they would be foolish to let him walk unless they find a significant upgrade in the middle of the rotation.

MLB Trade Rumors predicts that Bassitt will sign a three-year $60 million deal this offseason which seems easily attainable based on his proven track record. My prediction is Bassitt will return to the Mets this offseason and sign a three-year deal worth $65 million after they handle business with deGrom.