Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that the Bucs signed RHP Charlie Morton through 2016 with an option for a fourth season.
His deal will be for $4M this year, $8M in 2015 and $8M in 2016 with a club option for 2017 worth $9.5M and a $1M buyout. (If Morton is traded, the club option turns into a mutual option.) So the Bucs gave him roughly street value ($3.9M) for his last arbitration year and tied him up for two FA seasons with an option for another. Good move; with Francisco Liriano and Wandy Rodriguez in their walk years in 2015, Ground Chuck will be around with Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and company to ease the transition.
Morton, 30, is 30-49 with a 4.70 ERA in parts of six seasons with the Braves and the Pirates. Pittsburgh acquired Morton, OF Gorkys Hernandez and LHP Jeff Locke from Atlanta in 2009 for OF Nate McLouth.
After showing flashes in 2009, Morton was ready to challenge for a rotation spot and broke camp with the team. But 2010 was the infamous year when he spent time with a sports psychologist after going on the DL following a horrid 1–9/9.35 ERA start. He rebounded surprisingly well, pitching out of AAA Indy with his new Roy Halladay motion, and had his coming of age season the next campaign.
2011was Morton's most productive year. Charlie went 10–10 and 171-2/3 innings in 29 starts with a 3.83 ERA, and he was named the club's "Breakout Player of the Year". He had off-season hip surgery, then in 2012 went under the knife again for TJ surgery after working just 50 IP.
Morton came back in June of this season and posted a 7-4 record with a 3.26 ERA through 116
innings with a 62.9 percent ground ball rate (it's 54.8% career). More importantly, his control stayed sharp (2.8 BB/nine) and he picked up his K rate, thanks to an improving curve.
The main risk is of Charlie's body breaking down again. If Morton can keep himself in one piece and give the Pirates 175 IP from the back of the rotation, he'll be a bargain. Oddly, for his age, he still may have some upside in a "return to the future" kind of way way..
Showing posts with label charlie morton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label charlie morton. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Monday, April 9, 2012
Charlie Morton, Gerrit Cole Have Strong Outings
- RHP Charlie Morton made a rehab start at Indy tonight. He worked 7-2/3 frames, giving up one run on six hits and a walk with 8 K's while serving 98 pitches. The Bucs were hoping to have him primed and set for Saturday, the 14th, to go against the G-Men when the first need for a fifth starter on the schedule appears. It's also the first day he's eligible to come of the DL, so it looks like the planets are in line for him. The Pirates will have to trim a player from the active roster when he takes the hill, likely flipping a coin between Matt Hague and Josh Harrison, both who bring different skill sets to the bench.
- Gerrit Cole made his debut at High A Bradenton tonight, and threw pretty well. He went four innings, allowing a run on four hits and a walk with seven whiffs, throwing 63 pitches. The Marauders reported that he hit 97 on the gun.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Morton Signs, Taillon, Cole Honored
Well, when we said Hanny's deal might start the log rolling, we really didn't expect it to happen quite this quickly. Bill Brink of the Post Gazette reports that Charlie Morton has signed a one-year deal worth $2.445M.
Morton, 28, who earned $441K last year, had a promising 2011, reinventing his delivery by dropping his arm slot. He went 10-10 with a 3.83 ERA and worked 171-2/3 innings during 29 starts, even with some mid-season down time. His ceiling will depend mightily on how well he learns to handle lefties, who hit .364 off him last season. Righties could only come up with an anemic .220 BA against Morton.
He's hopeful that he can be ready to go by the opening bell; he had fall hip surgery. The Bucs have a fairly forgiving early schedule, so if he can be back full strength by May, there won't be much shuffling of the Pirate rotation.
Morton joined the Pirates in 2009 with Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez in the Nate McLouth deal with the Braves. And hey, unlike some other higher profile trades, not only are all the pieces still in Pittsburgh, but Nate the Great is back, too.
Now only four to go...
In more good news, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com wrote that the Bucs have two of the top six RHP prospects in baseball with Jameson Taillon, 20, and Gerrit Cole, 21, ranked #3 and #6. Both are expected to start the year at High A Bradenton.
Morton, 28, who earned $441K last year, had a promising 2011, reinventing his delivery by dropping his arm slot. He went 10-10 with a 3.83 ERA and worked 171-2/3 innings during 29 starts, even with some mid-season down time. His ceiling will depend mightily on how well he learns to handle lefties, who hit .364 off him last season. Righties could only come up with an anemic .220 BA against Morton.
He's hopeful that he can be ready to go by the opening bell; he had fall hip surgery. The Bucs have a fairly forgiving early schedule, so if he can be back full strength by May, there won't be much shuffling of the Pirate rotation.
Morton joined the Pirates in 2009 with Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez in the Nate McLouth deal with the Braves. And hey, unlike some other higher profile trades, not only are all the pieces still in Pittsburgh, but Nate the Great is back, too.
Now only four to go...
In more good news, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com wrote that the Bucs have two of the top six RHP prospects in baseball with Jameson Taillon, 20, and Gerrit Cole, 21, ranked #3 and #6. Both are expected to start the year at High A Bradenton.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Morton Has Labrum Surgery
Well, it ends up that Kevin Correia, Paul Maholm and Jeff Karstens weren't the only pitchers dinged up in the dog days. Charlie Morton was too, and had hip surgery yesterday, according to the beat gang.
He tore the labrum in his left hip "late" during the season; the club said that there was no one event to pinpoint when the injury occurred. The surgery went well, and the usual recovery time is six months, so he should be ready to return sometime in mid April if that holds true.
His agent, Andrew Lowenthal, told Mike Sanserino of the Post Gazette that "We have every indication he'll be ready for the season," and he was hopeful that Morton could participate in some baseball activity in four months, which would lead him into spring training.
For a right handed pitcher, the left is the landing side, so it takes a beating. And it's tough to catch up if you miss the off-season and camp. Look at how long it took James McDonald to get back into a groove; he really didn't regain his swing-and-miss stuff until the second half of the season after being hurt in early March.
Morton pitched a career-high 171-2/3 innings, ending 2011 with a 10-10 slate and 3.83 ERA in 29 starts with a shutout and two complete games. He was a staff workhorse, and his injury timeline makes us wonder how that will affect the way the Bucs approach Paul Maholm.
They haven't spoken to him yet about coming back to the fold. The FO will almost certainly refuse his $9.75M club option, but Maholm has said he's amenable to working out a new deal. If he hits the market, the Pirates will likely have trouble matching the bids he'll get. A lefty that eats innings, even as the fourth man on the staff, is a valued commodity around MLB.
Sanserino asked that question, and tweeted the reply: "GM Neal Huntington says Morton's surgery will not affect team's decision on Paul Maholm." Hmmmm. Throw another log or two into the hot stove.
He tore the labrum in his left hip "late" during the season; the club said that there was no one event to pinpoint when the injury occurred. The surgery went well, and the usual recovery time is six months, so he should be ready to return sometime in mid April if that holds true.
His agent, Andrew Lowenthal, told Mike Sanserino of the Post Gazette that "We have every indication he'll be ready for the season," and he was hopeful that Morton could participate in some baseball activity in four months, which would lead him into spring training.
For a right handed pitcher, the left is the landing side, so it takes a beating. And it's tough to catch up if you miss the off-season and camp. Look at how long it took James McDonald to get back into a groove; he really didn't regain his swing-and-miss stuff until the second half of the season after being hurt in early March.
Morton pitched a career-high 171-2/3 innings, ending 2011 with a 10-10 slate and 3.83 ERA in 29 starts with a shutout and two complete games. He was a staff workhorse, and his injury timeline makes us wonder how that will affect the way the Bucs approach Paul Maholm.
They haven't spoken to him yet about coming back to the fold. The FO will almost certainly refuse his $9.75M club option, but Maholm has said he's amenable to working out a new deal. If he hits the market, the Pirates will likely have trouble matching the bids he'll get. A lefty that eats innings, even as the fourth man on the staff, is a valued commodity around MLB.
Sanserino asked that question, and tweeted the reply: "GM Neal Huntington says Morton's surgery will not affect team's decision on Paul Maholm." Hmmmm. Throw another log or two into the hot stove.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Charlie Morton: Time To Mix It Up
Charlie Morton, the come-back kid of April, takes the hill tonight against the Fish. After last year's disaster, he's off to a 2-0, 1.64 ERA, 1.136 WHIP start in the first days of 2011.
There's been a lot made of the change in Morton's arm slot and his new-found awesome ground ball rate. But so far this season, Charlie has become a one-trick pony; 88% of his pitches are fastballs (he used it 59% of the time last year). The slider, which he used effectively last year, has been almost entirely forgotten; he throws it 1% of the time.
Listen, anyone can see that his sizzling start is a perfect storm of good fortune, as stat after stat shows.
His BABIP is .164, his strand rate is 90%, he's striking out 2.45 batters per nine while walking 4.91, and hitters make contact with 94% of the balls they swing at. Morton's ERA is 1.64 while his xFIP is 4.95. He's been dodging a lot of bullets.
But he can buffer the eventual return to earth by returning his other pitches to the mix. He'll need to work his slider/curve arsenal, pitches he threw 30% of the time in 2010, back into his pitching playlist.
MLB batters and pitchers engage in a constant cat-and-mouse game; the hitters will look for and adjust to his sinking fastball, and CM will have to counter with stuff that breaks rather than sinks.
We hope that eventually he'll learn to use his number one to set up the rest of the repertoire. Dialing his fastball down to 67% of his pitch count should make it more effective, and still be thrown enough to provide a security blanket. The breaking balls then should keep guys off balance and generate a few more swings-and-misses.
If his confidence in the heater carries over to his other pitches, he can become the complete pitcher that the Pirates hoped he would become, and one who can sustain his performance over the long haul.
(The numbers came from Fangraphs)
There's been a lot made of the change in Morton's arm slot and his new-found awesome ground ball rate. But so far this season, Charlie has become a one-trick pony; 88% of his pitches are fastballs (he used it 59% of the time last year). The slider, which he used effectively last year, has been almost entirely forgotten; he throws it 1% of the time.
Listen, anyone can see that his sizzling start is a perfect storm of good fortune, as stat after stat shows.
His BABIP is .164, his strand rate is 90%, he's striking out 2.45 batters per nine while walking 4.91, and hitters make contact with 94% of the balls they swing at. Morton's ERA is 1.64 while his xFIP is 4.95. He's been dodging a lot of bullets.
But he can buffer the eventual return to earth by returning his other pitches to the mix. He'll need to work his slider/curve arsenal, pitches he threw 30% of the time in 2010, back into his pitching playlist.
MLB batters and pitchers engage in a constant cat-and-mouse game; the hitters will look for and adjust to his sinking fastball, and CM will have to counter with stuff that breaks rather than sinks.
We hope that eventually he'll learn to use his number one to set up the rest of the repertoire. Dialing his fastball down to 67% of his pitch count should make it more effective, and still be thrown enough to provide a security blanket. The breaking balls then should keep guys off balance and generate a few more swings-and-misses.
If his confidence in the heater carries over to his other pitches, he can become the complete pitcher that the Pirates hoped he would become, and one who can sustain his performance over the long haul.
(The numbers came from Fangraphs)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The Charlie Morton File
Name: Charles Morton
Height: 6'5"; Weight: 218 pounds; Bats: R; Throws; R
Born: Nov. 12, 1983 (Flemington, N.J.)
High School: Joel Barlow HS (Redding, Conn.)
Strengths: Fastball that touches 96-97 and a twelve-to-six curve, along with an average to above-average power slider and so-so change. It's said that he's finally developed confidence and an aggressive attitude towards pitching, and that's keyed his turn-around. The light seemed to go on in the Arizona Fall league in 2007.
Weakness: Morton has always been one of the biggest enigmas in the Braves’ farm system. Blessed with outstanding stuff, Morton was never able to put up a consistent season. He struggled with the mental side of the game, and never developed much confidence in himself.
Morton struggled in limited time at the Major League level with Atlanta last season, showing only flashes of dominant stuff on the mound.
Another problem was physical; he had right back inflammation and pains that no one could quite identify. He was given cortisone and rest as a treatment. The Braves docs said it was nothing structural, and put him on an off-season exercise program to strengthen the area.
Whether that was the result of overwork or something that's always looming isn't really known; it doesn't seem to bother him this year. But we'd rather they could put a name to the injury. Morton also lost 25 pounds during the 2008 season. Pain? Pressure? Bad grits? But again, he seems strong this season.
Projection: Morton has good velocity, and a plus curve and slider. He's got AAA figured out, with a 2.05 ERA in 2008 and a 2.27 ERA so far this year. If he is just a late bloomer that finally saw the light, he has the potential to be a #3 or #4 pitcher in the show.
But there is that rough intro to the bigs last year hanging over him. If he stays confident and aggressive, he'll find the Pittsburgh staff much easier to crack than Atlanta's. If not, hey, he's got to be better than JVB.
Bio: Morton, 25, was the Braves' third-round draft pick (95th overall) in 2002 from Joel Barlow High School in Redding, Conn. It was a pretty good draft for the Braves; it included Jeff Francoeur, Brian McCann, and Chuck James.
Morton began his professional career for the GCL Braves in 2002 at the age of 18, starting five games in eleven appearances. He was 1-7 with a 4.54 ERA and showed absolutely no control, walking almost seven guys per nine innings.
The suits moved him up to short-season Danville in 2003. Appearing in 14 games, starting 13, he posted a 2-5 record with an 4.67 ERA. His BB/9 came down to 4.17 and his K/9 went up to 7.67.
He spent the next two years at Class A Rome. In the first year, he was 7-9, with a 4.82 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 5.20 BB/9, and 7.80 K/9. In the second season, his peripherals were better, but had a 5-9 record with a 5.20 ERA. He was starting to take on the odor of a career minor-leaguer.
Still, he went on High A Myrtle Beach in 2006. Same ol', same ol', except worse. His walks and WHIP went up, strike-outs down, and he posted a 6-7 slate with a 5.40 ERA.
But the Braves apparently saw something they liked and moved him up another level to AA Mississippi in 2007. And the light finally went on. He started off awfully, but every month his line got better. Morton finished the year at 6-9 with a 4.29 ERA, and got a chance to play in Arizona during the winter break.
Playing for the Peoria Javelinas, he started five games and went 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA. The Braves put Morton on the 40-man roster after he threw a five-inning no-hitter in front of GM Frank Wren and manager Bobby Cox. He said that he was finally believing in his pitches. It showed.
Morton was sent to AAA Richmond after a strong camp, and posted a 2.05 ERA with a 5-2 record. He then got the call to an injury-ridden Atlanta. That wasn't exactly an epiphany, as he tried to pitch through a balky back and finished up 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA in 16 games, appearing just once in relief in the last few weeks of the year.
Now he's off to the best start of his eight year career. Morton was 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA in 10 starts for Class AAA Gwinnett, then pitched seven shutout innings in his debut with Indy.
Neal Huntington assured us he'll be up soon, and some observers think he's already better than half the current Pirate rotation. And hey, Huntington was true to his word; Karstens was moved to the pen and Morton is on the 25-man, in the rotation, and starting tonight.
The question remains: is Charlie Morton the perfect example of patience paying off when dealing with a high school kid that jumped straight into professional ball, or is he a AAAA pitcher? We'll find out soon enough.
Height: 6'5"; Weight: 218 pounds; Bats: R; Throws; R
Born: Nov. 12, 1983 (Flemington, N.J.)
High School: Joel Barlow HS (Redding, Conn.)
Strengths: Fastball that touches 96-97 and a twelve-to-six curve, along with an average to above-average power slider and so-so change. It's said that he's finally developed confidence and an aggressive attitude towards pitching, and that's keyed his turn-around. The light seemed to go on in the Arizona Fall league in 2007.
Weakness: Morton has always been one of the biggest enigmas in the Braves’ farm system. Blessed with outstanding stuff, Morton was never able to put up a consistent season. He struggled with the mental side of the game, and never developed much confidence in himself.
Morton struggled in limited time at the Major League level with Atlanta last season, showing only flashes of dominant stuff on the mound.
Another problem was physical; he had right back inflammation and pains that no one could quite identify. He was given cortisone and rest as a treatment. The Braves docs said it was nothing structural, and put him on an off-season exercise program to strengthen the area.
Whether that was the result of overwork or something that's always looming isn't really known; it doesn't seem to bother him this year. But we'd rather they could put a name to the injury. Morton also lost 25 pounds during the 2008 season. Pain? Pressure? Bad grits? But again, he seems strong this season.
Projection: Morton has good velocity, and a plus curve and slider. He's got AAA figured out, with a 2.05 ERA in 2008 and a 2.27 ERA so far this year. If he is just a late bloomer that finally saw the light, he has the potential to be a #3 or #4 pitcher in the show.
But there is that rough intro to the bigs last year hanging over him. If he stays confident and aggressive, he'll find the Pittsburgh staff much easier to crack than Atlanta's. If not, hey, he's got to be better than JVB.
Bio: Morton, 25, was the Braves' third-round draft pick (95th overall) in 2002 from Joel Barlow High School in Redding, Conn. It was a pretty good draft for the Braves; it included Jeff Francoeur, Brian McCann, and Chuck James.
Morton began his professional career for the GCL Braves in 2002 at the age of 18, starting five games in eleven appearances. He was 1-7 with a 4.54 ERA and showed absolutely no control, walking almost seven guys per nine innings.
The suits moved him up to short-season Danville in 2003. Appearing in 14 games, starting 13, he posted a 2-5 record with an 4.67 ERA. His BB/9 came down to 4.17 and his K/9 went up to 7.67.
He spent the next two years at Class A Rome. In the first year, he was 7-9, with a 4.82 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 5.20 BB/9, and 7.80 K/9. In the second season, his peripherals were better, but had a 5-9 record with a 5.20 ERA. He was starting to take on the odor of a career minor-leaguer.
Still, he went on High A Myrtle Beach in 2006. Same ol', same ol', except worse. His walks and WHIP went up, strike-outs down, and he posted a 6-7 slate with a 5.40 ERA.
But the Braves apparently saw something they liked and moved him up another level to AA Mississippi in 2007. And the light finally went on. He started off awfully, but every month his line got better. Morton finished the year at 6-9 with a 4.29 ERA, and got a chance to play in Arizona during the winter break.
Playing for the Peoria Javelinas, he started five games and went 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA. The Braves put Morton on the 40-man roster after he threw a five-inning no-hitter in front of GM Frank Wren and manager Bobby Cox. He said that he was finally believing in his pitches. It showed.
Morton was sent to AAA Richmond after a strong camp, and posted a 2.05 ERA with a 5-2 record. He then got the call to an injury-ridden Atlanta. That wasn't exactly an epiphany, as he tried to pitch through a balky back and finished up 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA in 16 games, appearing just once in relief in the last few weeks of the year.
Now he's off to the best start of his eight year career. Morton was 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA in 10 starts for Class AAA Gwinnett, then pitched seven shutout innings in his debut with Indy.
Neal Huntington assured us he'll be up soon, and some observers think he's already better than half the current Pirate rotation. And hey, Huntington was true to his word; Karstens was moved to the pen and Morton is on the 25-man, in the rotation, and starting tonight.
The question remains: is Charlie Morton the perfect example of patience paying off when dealing with a high school kid that jumped straight into professional ball, or is he a AAAA pitcher? We'll find out soon enough.
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