Astros agree to 2-year deal with Morton
Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow made his first dip into the free agency pool this offseason, agreeing to a two-year deal with right-handed starter Charlie Morton on Wednesday.
The deal is reportedly worth $14 million, a source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Welcome to Houston, Charlie! pic.twitter.com/ZgKgXLdbsn
— Houston Astros (@astros) November 16, 2016
Morton went 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts with the Philadelphia Phillies last season before suffering a torn hamstring while running the bases that resulted in season-ending surgery.
ASTROS PROJECTED ROTATION
| PITCHER | W-L | ERA | IP | K | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Keuchel | 9-12 | 4.55 | 168 | 144 | 1.29 |
| Collin McHugh | 13-10 | 4.34 | 184.2 | 177 | 1.41 |
| Mike Fiers | 11-8 | 4.48 | 168.2 | 134 | 1.36 |
| Lance McCullers | 6-5 | 3.22 | 81 | 106 | 1.54 |
| Charlie Morton | 1-1 | 4.15 | 17.1 | 19 | 1.33 |
The 33-year-old has spent his entire nine-year career in the National League, with stops in Atlanta and Pittsburgh, in addition to Philadelphia. He's posted a 3.95 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 326 strikeouts in 419 2/3 innings over the last four seasons.
Durability has been one of Morton's biggest hurdle throughout his career. He's thrown over 150 innings just twice and has averaged just 18 starts per season since 2011.
HEADLINES
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- Astros' Verlander allows 2 runs over 6 innings in season debut
- Phils' Turnbull flirts with no-no, Bohm hits 2 HRs in win over White Sox
- Rockies' Freeland out 4-6 weeks with elbow injury, says pitch clock could be factor