The Baltimore Orioles took a big hit this offseason when they were unable to retain starting pitcher Corbin Burnes. Burnes was one of the best pitchers in baseball and helped lead the Orioles to the playoffs as a Wild Card team, but his gem in the first round series wasn’t enough to get the Orioles through to the ALDS.
Now, Burnes is headed to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a huge free agent contract and the Orioles have been forced to dig back into the free agent market to rebuild their starting rotation. That quest continued on Friday when Baltimore agreed to a contract with veteran starter Charlie Morton, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB Network.
“The Orioles have announced a one-year deal with RHP Charlie Morton. Per source, the deal is worth $15 million,” Feinsand reported on X, formerly Twitter.
At 41 years old, Morton is playing out the tail end of his career, which explains the reason that the deal only lasts the course of the 2025 season. Despite his age, Morton has proven over the last few seasons that he still has some of his best stuff.
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Morton spent the last four seasons with the Atlanta Braves, so he has gained some of the playoff experience that the Orioles covet as they look to compete for championships with a very young team. Morton was one of the most reliable options for Atlanta during that time, notching at least 163 innings in each of those seasons. His production dipped a little bit in 2024, as he finished 8-10 with a 4.19 ERA and 167 strikeouts to 65 walks.
Morton spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates before making stops in Philadelphia, Houston and Tampa Bay. He was named an All-Star in 2018 with the Astros and in 2019 with the Rays and had the best season of his career during his first season in Tampa Bay, finishing third in the Cy Young voting.
Wear and tear could be a worry for a pitcher of Morton’s age who has made 124 starts over the past four seasons, but he doesn’t use his velocity to get guys out. Therefore, he should be able to last another season and help Baltimore compete for an AL East title once again.
