Chris Bassitt has returned to Toronto, the city he represented for the last three years. This time, though, he is donning the Baltimore Orioles jersey and will sit in the rival dugout in the Rogers Centre. But that doesn’t mean Toronto is out of Bassitt’s mind. On the eve of the Orioles-Blue Jays series, Bassitt recalls his former home park, but more than that, he admitted having one of his best friends still in the Jays’ clubhouse.

“[Gausman] is one of the guys that I’ll die for. He’s one of my best friends, for sure,” Sportsnet shared via X.

Bassitt was with the Blue Jays from 2023 to 2025, and in between, he and Kevin Gausman formed a devastating 1-2 veteran punch as teammates. For instance, in June 2023, they achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Blue Jays teammates to each have six games with at least 6 innings pitched and 0 earned runs before July, a feat not seen in MLB since 1914.

Off the field, the partnership continued. The two were a fixture in the Toronto community, making memorable joint visits to local medical facilities like Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to lift the spirits of children and parents. Just when Bassitt revisits Toronto for the first time since leaving the Jays, he doesn’t forget about meeting his friendship duties.

Bassitt entered free agency after the 2025 season and signed a $18.5 million deal for one year with the Orioles. While his current 5.27 ERA may sound nothing extraordinary, the Blue Jays had him at his prime. For instance, he made an AL record of 16 wins in his first season with the Jays in 2023. Then again, he completed a nine-inning shutout, which was the first time for a Jays pitcher since Mark Buehrle in 2015.

That’s enough reason for Bassitt to recall his fond memories with the Jays. “This is a very, very special place to me,” he added. And just when Gausman is also struggling this year with a 3.36 ERA, it seems like they were the best duo. Reportedly, the Jays chose not to re-sign him because of a lack of a clear spot in the starting rotation and their shifting roster priorities.

While the Blue Jays had a clear plan about placing Dylan Cease in the rotation and offering more play time to Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays might be thinking of getting Bassitt back when their entire pitching staff is looking battered.

Bassitt could have been the Jays’ missing link

Cease is standing with a 3.05 ERA, while Yesavage has recorded a 3.16 ERA, and it makes us wonder if keeping Bassitt would have been the best decision for the Blue Jays.

Last year, he recorded 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA and 166 SOs as the Jays won the AL Pennant. In the postseason, Bassitt recorded a 1.04 ERA with 10 SOs, along with 7 SOs in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. So, retaining Bassitt could have helped the Blue Jays have a clutch performer on the mound. And the ever-expanding injuries of the Jays’ pitchers are what made things worse.

José Berríos missed the entire season with a right elbow stress fracture. He officially underwent Tommy John surgery. Then, Cease is placed on the 15-day IL on May 25 with a mild left hamstring strain. Max Scherzer was placed on the 15-day IL on April 27 with right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation. This looks like the Jays are gasping for a breather in their starting rotation.

Bassitt is, though, gone, and while he feels nostalgic returning to the Rogers Centre, the Jays fans still miss the veteran.