The Baltimore Orioles added a key component to their starting rotation, as Charlie Morton agreed to a one-year contract for the 2025 season.
On Friday, the Baltimore Orioles made an important move to address a gap in their rotation following the departure of their former ace, Corbin Burnes, who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Orioles agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract with veteran right-hander Charlie Morton.
To clear space for Morton on the 40-man roster, Baltimore designated catcher René Pinto for assignment. Pinto, who was claimed off waivers from the Rays at the beginning of the offseason, became somewhat redundant after the Orioles signed Gary Sánchez. Additionally, Pinto no longer had any minor league options remaining.
Orioles sign grizzled veteran Charlie Morton to fill need for quality starting pitching
Charlie Morton, who spent the last four seasons with the Atlanta Braves, is joining his sixth team in a 17-year career that has been both challenging and successful. Having turned 41 in November, Morton remains one of the most reliable starters in baseball despite his age.
During his four years with the Braves, Morton posted a 3.87 ERA across 686.1 innings, recording 771 strikeouts and 269 walks. Given his age, it’s remarkable how well he’s maintained his pitching ability and velocity. Atlanta counted on Morton to deliver at least 160 innings each year, and the Orioles will hope for similar contributions from him.
While Morton saw some regression in 2024, finishing with a 4.19 ERA over 165.1 innings in 30 starts, he still struck out 23.8% of opposing batters and maintained a 9.3% walk rate. His strikeout rate was the lowest since 2017, but he continued to generate ground balls, thanks to his excellent spin rate. Opponents hit just .200 against his curveball, and he finished the season with a 47.2% groundball rate.
2024 could have been Morton’s final season, but he’s shown he still has the drive to continue pitching. Last month, The Athletic’s David O’Brien reported that Morton preferred to sign with a team holding spring training close to his Florida home. While Atlanta was an attractive option, it seems the $15 million contract might have been more than the Braves’ front office was willing to offer.
Morton is the Orioles’ second veteran rotation addition, following the signing of former KBO pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year, $13 million deal. Both pitchers are expected to provide durable back-end options for Baltimore’s rotation.
Morton’s leadership in the clubhouse will be valuable, and his career achievements are impressive—he ranks 82nd on MLB’s all-time strikeout list with 2,047 and is set to surpass Madison Bumgarner and Fernando Valenzuela this season.
With Morton on board, the Orioles’ rotation now includes Morton, Sugano, Zach Eflin, and Grayson Rodriguez, with Dean Kremer potentially filling the fifth spot. However, the Orioles still lack a true ace and will need to find a top-tier arm, possibly by trading for a high-impact starter or re-signing Jack Flaherty.
