Orioles could poach this Blue Jays World Series' piece to solve major problem

The World Series gets underway on Friday night with Game 1 between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, and Orioles fans may get a final glimpse at a starting pitcher who could be joining Baltimore's rotation next season. The expectation is that the Orioles will come away from the offseason with a new veteran starting pitcher, and they could poach a starter away from the Blue Jays.

Ranking the top free agents this offseason, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sneaks Blue Jays' veteran Chris Bassitt in at the bottom of the list. While Feinsand doesn't see a return to Toronto in the cards for Bassit this offseason, he lists the Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, and Washington Nationals as potential fits for the 37-year-old starting pitcher.

Bassitt has been nothing if not consistent over the last three years with the Blue Jays, eclipsing at least 175 innings pitched in each season while posting an ERA of 3.91, striking out over 22% of the batters he faced.

Orioles eye Blue Jays piece from World Series push to plug major hole

For a team looking to stabilize the backend of their rotation, Bassitt is an excellent choice. He is capable of eating innings while keeping a team in games, and at his age, likely won't command a deal that is cost-prohibitive. There are a lot of teams that would love that type of addition, but for the Orioles, they've seen this act before.

Would Bassitt really be any different from Zach Eflin? That shouldn't be what the Orioles are looking for in a starting pitcher, especially when Bassitt is approaching a retirement tour. Of course, those types of moves have defined Mike Elias' run in the Orioles' front office, so would it really be a surprise if Bassitt was the big addition this offseason?

The hope remains that Elias has learned from that mistake and instead follows a blueprint he had in the past. The Milwaukee Brewers are expected to shop Freddy Peralta this offseason, and that should be what the Orioles are striving for this winter. Peralta not only addresses their need in the rotation but also pushes the needle closer to contention. Adding a pitcher like Bassitt would just push the needle closer to Elias needing to be replaced.