Orioles agree to terms with right-hander pitcher Charlie Morton

January 3rd, 2025

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher CHARLIE MORTON on a one-year major league contract for the 2025 season.

Morton, 41, went 8-10 with a 4.19 ERA (77 ER/165.1 IP) with 154 hits (23 HR), 85 total runs, 65 walks (1 IBB), 18 hit batters, and 167 strikeouts in 30 games, all starts, for the Atlanta Braves last season. He is one of four pitchers to make at least 30 starts in each full season since 2018 (not including 2020), along with José Berríos, Patrick Corbin, and Aaron Nola. During the last four years with the Braves, he combined to go 45-34 with a 3.87 ERA (295 ER/686.1 IP).

Morton is a 17-year veteran with the Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Between the five teams, he’s gone 138-123 with a 4.01 ERA (948 ER/2,125.2 IP) with 1,991 hits (203 HR), 1,045 total runs, 787 walks (25 IBB), 186 hit batters, and 2,047 strikeouts in 383 games (382 starts). His 138 wins are tied for the seventh most among active pitchers. He finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting and received a vote for Most Valuable Player in 2019 with the Rays. Morton also made the All-Star team that year, marking his second straight All-Star season after doing so with the Astros in 2018.

A native of Flemington, NJ, Morton was originally selected by the Braves in the third round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft out of Joel Barlow (CT) High School. He was acquired by Pittsburgh along with Gorkys Hernández and Jeff Locke in exchange for Nate McLouth on June 3, 2009. Philadelphia acquired him for David Whitehead on December 12, 2015. Morton then signed MLB contracts with Houston, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta.

To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher RENÉ PINTO was designated for assignment. The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.