MLB Rumors: Chris Bassitt Linked To Top NL Team

January 09, 2026 ,
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt pitches during 2025 game.

Chris Bassitt might be one of the more realistic win-now but budget-conscious pitching targets left on the market, and that’s why the Milwaukee Brewers are a logical landing spot. 

Toronto’s winter rotation shopping has changed Bassitt’s outlook, with the Blue Jays adding arms like Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, and the way Bassitt was used late in October only fueled the idea that his time as a set-in-stone starter in Toronto could be nearing its end.

Bassitt Fits What the Brewers Love

Bassitt is 36 going on 37, and nobody is calling him an ace, but he still fits what Milwaukee tends to value. He’s a one-time All-Star, a veteran with a reputation for mixing speeds and shapes, and he’s proven he can take the ball every fifth day. 

In 2025, he went 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA across 31 starts (plus one relief appearance), and his overall Toronto run sits at a 3.89 ERA over 96 regular-season games since joining in 2023. Even with the typical wear-and-tear concerns, he’s still been an innings solution, including 21 of 31 starts last season lasting at least one out into the sixth, which is exactly the kind of workload a contender loves behind its top arm.

The Blue Jays also used Bassitt as a reliever in the playoffs and he was lights out. He went 8.2 inings, posted a 1.04 ERA, allowed just three hits and had 10 strikeouts to only two walks.

For the Brewers, the fit is obvious if they’re bracing for change. Jose Quintana may not be back, Freddy Peralta has been mentioned in trade chatter, and Milwaukee’s rotation outlook can swing quickly depending on how they handle their veteran contracts. 

Bassitt on a one- or two-year deal feels like the kind of move their front office would make, stabilizing the group while their younger arms continue to grow. 

It’s not flashy, but it’s practical, and for a team trying to stay on top of the NL Central without spending a ton, that’s usually the point.

Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

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