Chris Bassitt already under pressure after Orioles spring training flop

Chris Bassitt was not signed to sit at the top of the Baltimore Orioles' rotation, but considering Mike Elias avoided adding a frontline starting pitcher this offseason, there will be added pressure on the veteran starting pitcher this offseason.

Orioles fans aren't willing to give Elias the benefit of the doubt, and are just waiting for his decisions to backfire. Those fans may have received some early validation after Bassitt's Orioles' spring training debut.

In a spring game against the Boston Red Sox — the team that stepped in front of the Orioles to sign Ranger Suarez — Bassitt gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. Not exactly the first look Orioles fans wanted to see, but there might have been a reason for that.

There will be no shortage of matchups between the Orioles and Red Sox during the regular season, and that was the reason why Bassitt had a pretty simple approach to his start on Sunday.

“It’s just building pitch count right now. Facing an inter-division team, you’re not going to game plan for them and throw a specific way,” Bassitt said. “Today was just all about throwing a bunch of heaters, different types of heaters, and just building arm strength within the heaters.”

Chris Bassitt's Orioles' spring training debut was a reminder

There's little reason to be overly critical of a veteran pitcher's struggles during spring training. More often than not, they're either working on one element of their approach or experimenting with a new pitch. The actual results can look wonky, which is why spring training stats are forgotten by the end of March.

For now, Bassitt's working on efficiency and his pitch count. It took him 40 pitches to get through his abbreviated start on Sunday, and considering he was a late signing, that's not a complete surprise. It was also a sinker-heavy approach, as he threw the pitch nearly 60% of the time during his start on Sunday.

Doubters are going to remain critical about Bassitt's arrival, and rightfully so. The 37-year-old veteran checks a box in terms of providing stability at the backend of the rotation, but there's still a question in the Orioles' rotation after Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, and Shane Baz. Nothing that happens in spring training will provide the answer that Orioles fans are looking for.