Chris Bassitt still thinks about his final two starts for the Mets. And he probably at all times will.
Bassitt was the losing pitcher within the series finale when the Braves swept the Mets to realize late-season control of the National League East.
He lost again when the Mets were eliminated by the Padres in the primary round of the playoffs.
He allowed seven earned runs over 6 ²/₃ combined innings in those two games because the Mets’ bats concurrently went quiet.
“I wish something else played out,” Bassitt told The Post on Friday night at Yankee Stadium, where he was back on the town as a member of the Blue Jays. “I don’t care how I personally did, but I wish we won the games. Regret isn’t the proper word. I don’t regret anything. There’s nothing I might change [preparation-wise]. Just the result, I wish, was different.”
The tip of the season sullied an otherwise strong one-year stint with the Mets.
Acquired in a trade with the Athletics, Bassitt went 15-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 30 starts, shouldering the burden of long absences by aces Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.
“I loved my time here — loved the organization, all of the coaches and my teammates,” Bassitt said. “We knew that was at all times a probability [to be one-and-done].”
Bassitt rejected his a part of a $19 million mutual option and declined the qualifying offer (one-year, $19.65 million) to achieve free agency.
The Mets were focused on retaining Bassitt, but the excitement was that the 34-year-old right-hander was looking for a four- or five-year contract — longer than they were willing to commit.
“I don’t need to get into the main points, however it just didn’t occur,” Bassitt said. “We had our talks … until the very end … and definitely there was mutual interest of attempting to work out a long-term deal. I don’t have any animosity towards them. I feel we left on good terms. And I’m joyful as may be to be here.”
The Mets turned their focus to adding Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana (each of whom were injured during spring training and have yet to pitch) and Kodai Senga.
4-fifths of the Mets’ starting rotation is sidelined straight away.
Why did Bassitt pick the Blue Jays?
“How good this team is,” Bassitt said, staying true to his message when he got here from the Athletics to the Mets about only wanting to play for a contender at this stage. “This team has every part — pitching, bullpen, hitting. We’ve got an actual probability to do something special — obviously the Mets do, too. There’s a handful of really good teams, and I went from one to a different.”
Bassitt scored an extended take care of a better average annual salary (three years, $63 million) than the qualifying offer. He has a 5.40 ERA through 4 starts with the Blue Jays and won’t pitch on this weekend series.
“I don’t ever need to be on a team that I don’t think can win a World Series,” Bassitt said. “I’m not saying I’m chasing a World Series, but at the identical time I’ve played myself into the proper of selecting that.”
