Philadelphia Phillies: 3 free agents to steal from the Mets this offseason
By Tim Boyle
2. Phillies should steal starting pitcher Chris Bassitt from the Mets
Behind deGrom, the Mets have another potential free agent in their rotation. Chris Bassitt was brought in during the offseason to take on the role of third starter behind deGrom and Max Scherzer. He has been good this year. In fact, Bassitt has been an underrated starter for several campaigns already.
Prior to joining the Mets, Bassitt was a member of the Oakland Athletics where he was going unnoticed. He did manage to finish eighth in the 2020 Cy Young race and tenth in 2021. A quality arm whose biggest weakness is that he is already 33, he’d be a shorter-term option for the Phillies to consider.
Philadelphia needs to be much more all-in next year. Before Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler’s time with the club comes to a close, they need to make one harder push. This season doesn’t feel like the one where the Phillies were fully committed to winning a championship. The goal seemed to be making the postseason.
Bassitt could be a nice asset to have in the rotation. He’s capable of giving a team number one starter stuff, too. And despite his age, there isn’t quite as much wear and tear on his arm. In place of Kyle Gibson, Bassitt would be a huge upgrade.