The Baltimore Orioles continued to add to their starting rotation by dipping into the older end of the free agent pool Friday.
Charlie Morton, 41, signed with Baltimore on a one-year, $19 Million contract according to multiple reports. Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to report the agreement. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com was the first to report the financial outlay.
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Morton went 8-10 with a 4.19 EA in 30 starts last season for the Atlanta Braves, striking out 167 batters in 165.1 innings. A two-time All-Star, Morton is attempting to pitch in his 18th major league season in 2025.
Despite his age, Morton is among the more durable pitchers in the offseason free agent class, with more than 1,200 innings pitched over the past eight seasons; only seven men have thrown more at the MLB level.
Over the past four years with the Atlanta Braves, Morton compiled a 3.87 ERA (110 ERA+) with a 3.92 FIP in 686.1 innings. Although other free agent starters presented more upside, few come with more reliability — particularly over the life of a one-year contract.
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Predictability seems to be high on the Orioles’ preference list this winter. In December, they signed 35-year-old pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year, $19 Million. They’ve also agreed to one-year deals with backup catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielder Nick Gordon, the latter on a minor-league deal.
The only multi-year contract Baltimore has issued this offseason is a three-year, $49.5 million deal with outfielder Tyler O’Neill.
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Morton fits the Orioles’ established pattern this winter while also adding depth to a rotation that includes Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Sugano, Dean Kremer, and Trevor Rogers. Kyle Bradish is expected to join the group at midseason after undergoing internal brace surgery last year.
On paper, that’s enough to complete a rotation, if only one that lacks star power. Orioles starters won 62 games last year, more than all but one American League team — the New York Yankees.
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The Yankees surpassed the Orioles in the AL East standings midway through last season, relegating Baltimore to a Wild Card berth and a first-round matchup against the Kansas City Royals. The Royals swept the best-of-three series, leaving the Orioles without a postseason win despite clinching a Wild Card spot each of the last two seasons.
Baltimore’s next postseason victory will be its first since 2014.
Morton has postseason experience across seven seasons: in 2013 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, in 2017-18 with the Houston Astros, in 2019-20 with the Tampa Bay Rays, and in 2021-22 with Atlanta.
Morton is 7-5 with a 3.60 ERA in October in 18 games (17 starts). In 382 career regular season starts, Morton is 138-123 with a 4.01 ERA.
