1 major reason why the Mets need to re-sign Chris Bassitt this offseason

Pittsburgh Pirates v New York Mets
Pittsburgh Pirates v New York Mets / Adam Hunger/GettyImages

Bulldog is right. Chris Bassitt was the most durable of the New York Mets starting pitchers in 2022. His 181.2 innings pitched led the team. The total tied him for 22nd in MLB which is a solid finish for anyone.

Bassitt may already be 33 with his next birthday coming before Opening Day 2023. Age will be a factor in the number of years he gets in his next contract. It shouldn’t be a deterrent for the Mets who have a ton of starting pitcher questions to ask.

As far as Bassitt goes, it’s his durability they need to look at closely.

Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt has the availability ability the team cannot ignore

181 innings are hard to find. Even 160 is a rarity these days. Since becoming a regular starting pitcher in MLB, Bassitt has been reliable to take the ball every fifth day or so.

A freak line drive in 2021 knocked him onto the IL during his final year with the Oakland Athletics. For the 2022 Mets, a short stint on the COVID-IL was the only thing that held him back.

With the Mets already locked in with Max Scherzer next year and a chance to re-sign Jacob deGrom, it’s essential to have a pitcher with less mileage and wear and tear like this guy. It also doesn’t hurt that Bassitt is a pretty solid pitcher, too.

Thus far, Bassitt has logged 737.1 innings at the big league level. He reached 144 in 2019, another 63 in 2020, and 157.1 more with Oakland in 2021. He’s similar to deGrom in the way that he didn’t become a regular until much later in his career. Bassitt was even older than Jake, not logging more than 86 innings until his age 30 campaign in 2019.

Regardless of what happens with deGrom, Bassitt is a pitcher the team needs to see as a non-injury prone arm that can eat innings for them. We averaged a little over 6 innings per start in 2022 which is about as great as anyone can hope for from a starter in this era.

Bassitt’s contract is a bit unique with a $19 million mutual option for the 2023 season. The Mets would be wise to take him up on this offer. Bassitt would be smarter to test free agency. While a $19 million AAV might not be headed his way, a three or even four-year offer topping $15 million definitely is.

There were a couple of reasons why the Mets targeted Bassitt last offseason. Knowing he gets on the field and stays there was one of the biggest. There’s little doubt he can’t do the same in 2023. Then again in 2024. Maybe once more in 2025.

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