For weeks, Baltimore Orioles fans have been waiting for a major move on the pitching side from their team. They lost out on Blake Snell, Max Fried, and other top free agents. Then the days went on and O’s supporters thought they at least had Corbin Burnes available to re-sign. You can imagine the disappointment when the right-hander went to the Arizona Diamondbacks before the New Year.
The Orioles finally added some pitching
The O’s, besides Tomoyuki Sugano (a sneaky good add), needed more. They made a move, at long last, on Friday by bringing in a steady veteran righty on a short-term deal:
“The Orioles have announced a one-year deal with RHP Charlie Morton. Per source, the deal is worth $15 million,” MLB insider Mark Feinsand posted on X. The team itself made the announcement on the same platform.
Morton is obviously no Burnes or Snell or Fried, but if health is on his side, he can help the Orioles achieve their objectives in 2025. It’s fair to say he wasn’t at his best in 2024 with the Atlanta Braves, though.
Morton can still help the Orioles even though he is not an ace
The curveball artist delivered a rather underwhelming 4.19 ERA this past season. His WHIP, 1.33, was more decent, as was his 167/65 K/BB ratio over 165.1 innings in 30 starts.
Morton has been a steady force during his entire career and reached his peak a while ago, but he is more of a mid-rotation commodity these days rather than an ace. The Orioles, however, could have used that frontline starter.
Their rotation depth now has Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez at the top, with Morton as the third guy and Dean Kremer and Sugano rounding out the staff. Orioles general manager Mike Elias has stated he expects both Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells to be ready to return around mid-season.
