The Orioles announced the signing Charlie Morton on a one-year contract. It is reportedly a $15MM guarantee for a Wasserman client. Baltimore designated catcher Rene Pinto with an assignment to open a 40-man roster spot.
Morton, who turned 41 in November, is joining the sixth team of his career in what will be his 18th MLB season. The two-time All-Star spent the past four seasons with the Braves, where he compiled a 3.87 ERA over 124 starts. Although Morton’s production has dipped slightly over the past few years, he has avoided the kind of dramatic decline one might expect from a pitcher in his 40s.
The righty took the ball 30 times and worked to a 4.19 earned run average in 165 1/3 innings last year. He reached 30 starts and crossed 160 innings across four seasons during his late run in Atlanta. Morton struck out 23.8% of opposing batters against a slightly elevated 9.3% walk rate. The strikeout rate was the lowest since he broke out of Houston in 2017 but he remained a few points above the major league average.
Morton has never lost his pace despite his age. His fastball hit 94 MPH last year, a tick below where it was three seasons ago. His main contribution, his curveball, has reached its normal 81.5 MPH average. Morton continues to produce elite spin and solid results often against broken pitches. Opponents hit .200 on the curveball last season.
Overall, Morton’s 2024 production was a solid debut for the fourth. He got into trouble in the second half. Morton allowed a 4.37 earned run average while giving up a career-high .279/.357/.469 batting line after the All-Star Break. Morton bounced back in September following an August slump, while his strikeout and walk rates held up for the rest of the season.
Atlanta, which appears to be operating under tight budget constraints, did not appear interested in keeping Morton for a fifth season. There has been speculation every year that he might retire, but it became clear last month that he plans to return for another year. David O’Brien of The Athletic wrote that Morton wanted to sign with a team that played Spring Training closer to home in Bradenton, Florida. The Orioles are eligible. Their location is in Sarasota. Morton won’t be as close to home as he has been in Georgia when the regular season starts, but that’s less of a concern than Spring Training geography.
Morton is Baltimore’s second veteran to cover the winter. His signing comes three weeks after O’s signing of the 35-year-old Japanese star Tomoyuki Sugano one year, $13MM contract. Both pitchers are projecting as solid back-to-back starters at this stage of their careers. The Orioles needed to add to their backfield rotation Zach Eflin again Grayson Rodriguez. Sugano and Morton each make sense in isolation, but nothing brings them anywhere close to where they lost there Corbin Burns he left.
The offseason is over. Baltimore is tied to it Jack Flahertybest unsigned launcher. They are clearly equal to potential trades like him Luis Castillo again Dylan Cease. There is no guarantee that this is their last move. In the first few months of the season, however, they have avoided the kind of play many fans expected under new owner David Rubenstein. In addition to the trade, they signed a foreign player Tyler O’Neill in a three-year deal that guarantees just under $50MM and was signed Gary Sanchez as a backup catcher/designated hitter at the $8.5MM signing.
Eflin, Rodriguez, Morton and Sugano make up the top four in Brandon Hyde’s current rotation. Dean Kremer projects as a fifth start. Albert Suárez, Trevor Rogersand small pots Kade Povich again Chayce McDermott they are behind them. They build decent depth but arguably still need an impact arm to top the staff.
Pinto, 28, was released by the Rays early in the season. He’s out of options and can’t be sent to Triple-A without clearing waivers. His place in the 40-man roster proved difficult after Sánchez was taken away. Baltimore will have five days to trade him or return him to the waiver wire. Pinto hit .231/.263/.404 in 82 big league games with Tampa Bay between 2022-24.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first reported the $15MM salary. Image courtesy of Imagn.
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