Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Charlie Morton had his swing-and-miss stuff going during Thursday's game against the Boston Red Sox. The veteran right-hander struck out 10 batters across five innings of work, which isn't easy against the Red Sox lineup. However, Morton also allowed six hits, five earned runs, and two walks during Thursday's outing. The final results were a mixed bag, but fantasy managers should've still received a decent performance due to the double digit punchouts. Morton has been smacked around for nine runs over two starts this season. Possibly, the Fountain of Youth has finally run dry, but we'll see what Morton can do during his next start against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Charlie Morton (illness) is set to make his spring debut on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers. Morton has missed the start of camp due to an illness. However, seeing him make a quick recovery is a positive sign and suggests that he should see a normal workload during the remainder of camp. Earlier in the offseason, the Orioles signed Morton to a one-year $15 million contract. Last season in Atlanta, the 41-year-old posted a 4.19 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. He tallied 167 punchouts across 165 1/3 innings of work. He was able to generate ground balls at an above-average 47.2 percent rate. Fantasy managers should expect Morton to open the season in the Orioles starting rotation. Given his modest strikeout upside, he should only be targeted in deeper formats.
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Charlie Morton (illness) was not in camp on Thursday due to an illness. Morton could miss a few days of spring training while he recovers, but he should be back with the team sooner than later. The 41-year-old veteran is expected to slot in as the team's No. 3 starter behind Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin in his first year in Baltimore after signing a one-year, $15 million deal in free agency. He leaves the tough National League East, but only to join the tough American League East. The two-time All-Star has made at least 30 starts in each of the last six full seasons, so he's been durable and dependable, but fantasy managers should have plenty of reservations after his velocity dropped in 2024, which led to a 23.8% strikeout rate, which was his lowest mark since 2015. There's just not a ton of fantasy upside with him at this point, and RotoBaller has him ranked outside the top-100 starting pitchers.
Free-agent starting pitcher Charlie Morton signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles on Friday evening. The 41-year-old spent the past four seasons with the Atlanta Braves. Last season, the right-hander held a 4.19 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP across 165 1/3 innings. Morton made at least 30 starts in each season during his four-year tenure with the Braves. Under the hood, Morton generated a modest 23.8% strikeout rate with a below-average 4.49 xERA last season. This was a decline from the 25.6% K rate he held during the 2023 campaign. After losing Corbin Burnes to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Morton should have a permanent role in the Baltimore rotation throughout the 2025 season. However, given his declining metrics, he should only be targeted in deeper 15-plus team formats or AL-only leagues.
According to David O'Brien of The Athletic, free-agent starting pitcher Charlie Morton is unlikely to return to Atlanta in 2025. O'Brien noted that the team's interest in the 41-year-old has been "put on the back burner" and that Morton has been open to hearing offers from other clubs. The Braves appear focused on addressing other holes on their roster, especially at corner outfield with Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) facing an uphill battle to be ready for Opening Day. In addition, the Atlanta rotation already has established options such as Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and breakout rookie Spencer Schwellenbach. In addition, their ace, Spencer Strider (elbow), will also return to the mound after missing the vast majority of last season due to an internal-brace procedure. Last season, Morton held a poor 4.19 ERA and 1.32 WHIP and should only be viewed as a low-end streaming option in deeper formats if he finds a new home in 2025.
Free agent pitcher Charlie Morton has stated that he intends to keep his career going in 2025, it's just not known where yet. The 41-year-old pitched the last four seasons for the Braves, and while he was by no means dominant, he was serviceable and reliable. The veteran made at least 30 starts and pitched at least 163 innings each season for Atlanta during his four-year tenure. In 2024, while his ERA was down a bit, to 4.19 compared to a career ERA of 4.01, both his xFIP (3.99) and SIERA (4.06) were slightly better, so there's reason to believe he's still a capable hurler. The righty still averaged a strikeout per inning and even decreased his BB% by 2.3% over 2023. It is anticipated that he'll sign a short-term (one year) deal with a team that is in a position to win now.
Starting pitcher Charlie Morton got obliterated in Thursday's outing versus the Milwaukee Brewers. The veteran only last 2 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits, eight runs, one walk and striking out three. Morton allowed four homeruns in the contest, on his way to his seventh loss of the season. The veteran has had some big blowout performances like this on the season, but also has shined in others, making him frustrating to rely on. With his strikeouts also down this season, he has become more of a streamer down the stretch for managers. Despite a few rough starts of late, Morton will look to get back on track versus the San Francisco Giants as part of a two-start week that also features a favorable matchup against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton improved his record to 6-6 with Thursday's victory against the division rival Miami Marlins. The 40-year-old earned his ninth quality start of the season by tossing six innings, in which he allowed one run (zero earned), two walks and six strikeouts. It was a very big bounce back for Morton, who got hit hard for seven runs (five earned) in his previous outing versus the New York Mets. Morton has been solid this season with a 3.94 ERA, but he has also been hit hard in some matchups. As it stands, Morton is best suited as a streamer moving forward. His next start will come at home against a good Milwaukee Brewers lineup on Wednesday.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton (5-4) dominated his former team Friday night allowing no runs in 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts on three hits and no walks in a 6-1 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. After a tough May where the 40-year-old right-hander produced an ugly 5.04 ERA, he reversed course in June by putting up a 3.10 ERA. Although the stats are a little misleading as Morton went 2-0 with one run allowed in 18 1/3 innings, but allowed an ugly 10 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings pitched in two losses. Despite all of that he lowered his ERA on the season to 3.89. Look for Morton to continue the momentum from this start in his first July start against San Francisco Giants next week.
Charlie Morton Strikes Out Eight In Win On Saturday
Atlanta Braves right-hander Charlie Morton turned in a quality start in a 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. Morton tossed six innings of one-run ball while striking out eight and walking two to improve his record to 4-3 on the season. The 40-year-old hurler had it going on Saturday against his former team, picking up an impressive 22 swinging strikes in the start. Morton now has a 3.91 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 76 strikeouts over 72 2/3 innings of work in 2024. He will look to stay hot in his next scheduled start, which is set for Saturday against the New York Yankees on the road.
Charlie Morton
• SP
•
Orioles
