Jays Land Kiermaier and Bassitt, Lose Stripling to Giants

The Toronto Blue Jays have made their first two moves of the free agent signing period. First, it was veteran outfielder Kevin Kiermaier on a one-year, $9 million deal before general manager Ross Atkins pulled the trigger on a deal that will see starting pitcher Chris Bassitt suit up in blue and white for the next three seasons.

The Kiermaier signing marks a decent outfield replacement for the recently-departed Teoscar Hernandez (traded to Seattle for pitching help Erik Swanson and Adam Macko in mid-November).

Although having spent the majority of his time with Toronto in right field, Hernandez’s replacement will likely slot in at centrefield – where he has played nearly the entirety of his career. The expectation is George Springer will shift to left field, while Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will flip sides from his regular left field and share duties with fellow rotational outfielders in right.

The left-handed hitting Kiermaier fills a void that Toronto has long needed. The 32-year-old is a nine-year pro, having spent the entirety of his time in the big leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays, the three-time Gold Glove Award winner will provide the Blue Jays with a calming presence alongside Springer in an outfield in long need of some strong fielding.

Having had his $13 million club option turned down by Tampa this offseason, Kiermaier officially became a free agent and accepted the team’s $2.5 million buyout. He chose not to go far, opting to stick within the only division he has ever known: the American League East.

He missed a significant portion of the 2022 season following surgery to his left hip and only suited up in 63 total games. He had a .228 batting average – slightly below his nine-year average (.248) – while hitting seven home runs, 22 RBIs and earning 14 walks.

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After adding Kiermaier to the mix, the Jays looked to fill the other major area of concern by adding Chris Bassitt. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound righty joins Toronto following what was a strong first season in New York with the Mets. Going 15-9 as a starter on a decent team, Bassitt carried a 3.42 ERA with 167 strikeouts in 181.2 inning pitched over 30 appearances.

Although appearing on the scene first with the Chicago White Sox, Bassitt spent the majority of his career with the Oakland Athletics. Having pitched for six seasons in California, he made the move to New York for 2022. The move set him up for the three-year, $63.3 million deal he signed on Tuesday with Toronto, which features a $21.1 million annual average value.

Similarly to Kiermaier, Bassitt did not come back to his 2022 club thanks to his optional year being denied – but in his case, it was by his own doing, as he opted to test the market for a better long-term solution as a 33-year-old.

Bassitt will join a five-man rotation highlighted by Kevin Gausman, Alek Manoah and Jose Berrios. Other potential starters alongside Bassitt will be Mitch White, Nate Pearson, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Yusei Kikuchi.

On the same day that Toronto agreed to terms with Bassitt, the team lost 2022 breakout starter Ross Stripling and his 10-4 record to the San Francisco Giants. Signing a two-year, $25 million deal, ‘Chicken Strip’ will leave the American League, and join the N.L. West as the expected fourth man in a rotation consisting of Alex Cobb, Alex Wood and Jakob Junis.

Last season, the Blue Jays went 92-70, only to lose out in the American League Wild Card series in a two-game sweep at the hands of the Seattle Mariners. They will look to cement their place in the postseason this October with a more sustainable effort.