Resurgent Veteran Starting Pitcher Named Fit for Nationals in Free Agency
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One of the things that has to get addressed this offseason is the starting pitching situation for the Washington Nationals.
While Cade Cavalli threw good innings for them down the stretch and Josiah Gray is expected to return from his Tommy John surgery recovery, Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin took major steps back in 2025 and finished as two of the worst starting arms in baseball.
That is a bleak outlook when factoring in the other options missing due to injury, and that's not even thinking about what things could look like if they actually shipped out their ace MacKenzie Gore like the rampant trade rumors are suggesting.
It's clear some outside additions will need to be made this winter if the Nationals are going to have a viable rotation next season. Thankfully, there are plenty of solid options set to hit the open market who they can pursue.
Chris Bassitt Named Fit for Nationals
Fans might be hoping Washington finally goes big game hunting in free agency, but it's not clear how Paul Toboni is going to operate or if he's going to have the freedom to spend money from owner Mark Lerner.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean they are going to be stagnant. And Mark Feinsand of MLB.com mentioned the Nationals as a fit for longtime veteran starting pitcher Chris Bassitt after put together a resurgent season with the Toronto Blue Jays.
"Bassitt remains a durable innings-eater in his late 30s, topping the 170-inning mark for the fourth consecutive season in 2025. ... Bassitt also ranked in the top third of MLB in ground-ball percentage and walk rate, and he should be able to fill a mid-rotation spot on a one- or two-year deal," he wrote.
Chris Bassitt gets out of the jam with his 10th strikeout of the game! pic.twitter.com/6cFGy5tQ7Z
— MLB (@MLB) April 16, 2025
Right now, Bassitt has a bullpen role for the Blue Jays in the playoffs. That's largely due to him hitting the injured list before the end of the regular season. But make no mistake about it, the 11-year veteran proved he still has gas left in the tank throughout the 2025 campaign.
After posting a 4.16 ERA and ERA+ that was one point below the league average of 100 across his 31 starts last season, he responded with an ERA of 3.96 and an ERA+ of 108. Considering not a single player in Washington's starting rotation had an ERA+ mark that was above the league average -- including Gore -- there's no doubt his addition would be welcomed.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai