The signing of 41-year-old right-hander Charlie Morton increases the Orioles’ starting pitching depth. While the team has perhaps 10 candidates for the starting rotation, it doesn’t have an ace.
Their inability to sign Corbin Burnes, who left for the Arizona Diamondbacks, led them to Morton, who’s an accomplished major league starter, though one 11 years older than Burnes.
Since mid-December, the Orioles have added two veteran right-handers — Morton whose contract is for $15 million, and 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano, who pitched in Japan.
The Orioles have signed four major league free agents in the last month. Morton, Sugano, outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez. They’ve signed the four for $86 million.
It will be interesting to see how the Orioles set their rotation, and if they give extra rest to Sugano, who pitched on five days’ rest in Japan, and Morton, who will be the oldest pitcher for the Orioles since 42-year-old Jesse Orosco in 1999. Morton will be the oldest player on the team since 41-year-old Jim Thome in 2012.
The Orioles already have right-handers Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer, and left-handers Cade Povich and Trevor Rogers. They also have Albert Suárez, another 35-year-old who started most of last season, and rookies Chayce McDermott and Brandon Young.
Later in the season, they’ll hope for healthy returns from right-handers Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, who both had season-ending elbow surgeries in June.
There’s no guarantee that executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is done adding to his starting staff, but he has signed an additional starter without having to trade one of the Orioles’ top prospects.
Several years ago, Elias said he thought the Orioles would become a “transactional” team, and with Eflin, Morton, Sugano, Sánchez and perhaps O’Neill, who has an opt-out after this season on his three-year, $49.5 million deal, there’s likely to be substantial turnover.
Among veteran Orioles, centerfielder Cedric Mullins, first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and relievers Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto are eligible for free agency after this season.
It’s easy to see why Morton, who’s played for five other teams over a 17-year career, chose the Orioles. He lives in Bradenton, where he trained with the Pittsburgh Pirates for seven seasons, and has an easy commute to Sarasota. He was born in New Jersey and grew up in Connecticut, so he’s familiar with the Northeast, and the Orioles have been in the postseason for the past two seasons.
Morton has plenty of postseason experience. He’s started 17 games and has pitched in three World Series, winning with the Houston Astros in 2017 and Atlanta Braves in 2021 and losing with Tampa Bay in 2020.
He also is familiar with Elias, who was working with the Astros in Morton’s two seasons there in 2017 and 2018.
If Elias is done with the starting pitching, he can attempt to add a back-end reliever. There are still many relievers on the free agent list. Former Oriole Tanner Scott, a left-hander, and right-handers Jeff Hoffman, David Robertson, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Carlos Estévez are the top arms.
The addition of Morton pushes the Orioles’ payroll to $144 million, according to Cot’s Contracts, 17th in baseball. The Orioles had the 28th-highest payroll to begin the 2024 season. Their payroll is higher than any team in the American League Central and is about $2 million below the St. Louis Cardinals.
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