The Baltimore Orioles have one of the better lineups in baseball and they're only getting better. Baltimore's lineup is loaded with young talent, and it still has prospects like Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo waiting to make an impact in the big leagues. Jackson Holliday, among others, have seemingly turned a corner this season, too.
But they're an afterthought in the American League East because of their horrendous pitching staff. The team had Corbin Burnes last season but couldn't re-sign him and horrendously failed to replace him in free agency. To make matters worse, the Orioles have been plagued with injuries to a lot of their starting pitching, and it's completely crippled their team.
One of the players the Orioles opted to sign was 41-year-old right-hander Charlie Morton. Morton was coming off a solid season with the Atlanta Braves, but Atlanta let him walk in free agency and he landed in Baltimore.
This decision has aged horrendously for the Orioles, and it doesn't seem to be trending in the right direction.
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The Orioles need to DFA Charlie Morton in the near future
The Orioles' decision to sign Morton has aged horribly and it's time for them to own up to the mistake and designate him for assignment. It'll be an expensive decision to make, but it's one the team needs to make if they're serious about contending this season.
Morton was signed to a one-year, $15 million deal. At the time, it seemed like a severe overpay for an aging veteran with horrible underlying numbers. Following 27 2/3 innings with the Orioles in eight appearances, the contract seems like an even worse overpay.
Morton has allowed more earned runs (30) than he has innings pitched (27 2/3) on the season. His WHIP is well above 2.00 thanks to a staggering 13.0 hits per nine innings and 6.8 walks per nine innings.
The Orioles have a few solid options in the farm system to replace him, but in all likelihood, Baltimore will need to swing a blockbuster trade to bring in a starter or two. They could look to make a trade for pitchers like Erick Fedde or Sonny Gray this season. Either way, Morton has got to go.