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Chris Bassitt signs one-year, $18.5 million contract with Orioles

Chris Bassitt of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch against the Yankees last season.

In an American League East that looks competitive top to bottom, the Orioles made another move to solidify an area of need.

Baltimore and right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt agreed to a one-year, $18.5 million contract, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed on Wednesday.

Bassitt gets $500,000 in incentives as part of the deal.

Chris Bassitt of the Blue Jays throws a pitch against the Yankees last season. Jason Szenes / New York Post

The Braves were among the teams thought to be interested in Bassitt, Heyman reported in January.

The soon-to-be 37-year-old stays in the AL East after spending the last three seasons with the Blue Jays following a one-year stint with the Mets.

He continued to be an innings eater in 2025, throwing at least 170 frames for the fourth straight season.

Bassitt held a 3.96 ERA (and 4.01 FIP) with 166 strikeouts as the Blue Jays won the division and came two outs shy of their third World Series crown.

He pitched 8²/₃ innings — all in relief — in the playoffs and yielded just one earned run.

An All-Star in 2021 with the A’s, Bassitt has a 3.64 ERA and a 1.246 WHIP across 11 big league seasons.

Chris Bassitt pitched the last three seasons with the Blue Jays after one year with the Mets. JASON SZENES/ NY POST

Baltimore has been active this offseason, especially in the pitching market by re-signing Zach Eflin, trading for Shane Baz and bringing in hard-throwing reliever Ryan Helsley on a two-year deal.

Ex-Mets slugger Pete Alonso came over on a five-year pact to bolster the offense.

The Orioles, with a combination of injuries and inconsistencies, finished last season with the fifth-worst pitching staff ERA at 4.60.

As of Wednesday, Fangraphs projected Baltimore to win 83.7 games — nearly three behind the Yankees — with a 53.7 percent chance to make the playoffs.

While Bassitt might not go 200 innings again as he did five years ago, he should be a stabilizing force for a rotation that needs it.

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