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, $15 million contract according to multiple reports. Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to report the agreement. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com was 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.
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, $13 million contract. 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.
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.
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
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