Tigers Land Charlie Morton From Orioles Right Before Trade Deadline Buzzer
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The Detroit Tigers were on the lookout for some starting pitching help ahead of the 2025 MLB trade deadline and acquired some right before the buzzer, landing veteran Charlie Morton from the Baltimore Orioles.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported the news that the Tigers acquiring the right-handed pitcher.
It has been a roller coaster season for Morton, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Orioles as a free agent with the expectation of being a backend innings eater for the team.
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Those plans went awry when Morton got off to an abysmal start to the season and was relegated to the bullpen after five starts.
He had a 10.89 ERA through 20.2 innings and the team lost all five contests.
Morton was struggling to find the strike zone, issuing 15 walks, and when he was in the zone, he was being hit hard, surrendering five home runs and five more extra-base hits in only 88 at-bats against him.
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Signs of improvement were shown as he bounced back and forth between being a reliever and making spot starts.
Improved performance and injuries to the rest of the rotation led to Morton getting another chance as a starter, and he seized it.
Since May 26, he has a 3.88 ERA across 60.1 innings with 61 strikeouts. He has issued 24 walks and surrendered seven home runs, finding his groove after the brutal start.
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That turnaround led to him being one of the more sought-after starting pitchers ahead of the deadline, landing with the Tigers as a replacement for Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe behind Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize.
Morton is the second starting pitcher Detroit acquired ahead of the deadline, as they also added Chris Paddack in a deal with the Minnesota Twins.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.