Phillies acquire veteran SP Morton in trade with Pirates
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phillies added depth to their starting rotation on Saturday, acquiring right-hander Charlie Morton from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for minor-league pitcher David Whitehead.
The 32-year-old Morton has a record of 45-70 with a 4.54 ERA. He went 9-9 with a 4.81 ERA in 23 starts for the Pirates in 2015, missing the first two months while recovering from a procedure on his hip.
Morton won six of his first seven starts in 2015, but struggled after the All-Star break, going 3-7 with a 5.26 ERA in the second half.
Morton is scheduled to make $8 million in 2016, with a team option of $9.5 million in 2017.
Morton is the second longtime member of the Pirates to leave in a week. Pittsburgh traded second baseman Neil Walker to the New York Mets in exchange for Jon Niese on Wednesday.
