Orioles Sign Charlie Morton – MLB Trade Rumors

The Orioles announced he had signed Charlie Mortone to a one-year contract. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that the veteran starter is guaranteed $15 million. Designated catcher from Baltimore René Pinto for the job of opening a spot on the 40-man roster.

Morton, who turned 41 in November, joins the sixth team of his career in what will be his 18th MLB season. The two-time All-Star spent the last four seasons with the Braves, where he posted a 3.87 ERA in 124 appearances. While Morton’s production has declined slightly over the past two years, he has avoided the kind of dramatic decline one might expect from a pitcher in his 40s.

The righty caught the ball 30 times and worked for a 4.19 earned run average in 165 1/3 innings last year. He reached 30 starts and topped 160 frames in all four seasons during his late-career run in Atlanta. Morton struck out 23.8% of opposing hitters against a slightly elevated walk rate of 9.3%. The strikeout rate was the lowest since his 2017 breakout in Houston, but remained a couple of points above the league average for starting pitchers.

Overall, Morton’s production in 2024 has been that of a solid fourth starter. In the second half, however, he had some problems. Morton allowed 4.37 earned runs per nine while giving up a lofty .279/.357/.469 batting line after the All-Star Break. Morton rebounded in September after a shaky August, while his strikeouts and walk marks remained consistent throughout the season.

More to come.