Phillies acquire veteran SP Morton in trade with Pirates

Published December 12, 2015

Jun 10, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton (50) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

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.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/phillies-acquire-veteran-sp-morton-in-trade-with-pirates