Red Sox Urged to Trade for Orioles' Charlie Morton

Red Sox Urged to Trade for Orioles' Charlie Morton originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

After winning 10 straight games to close out the first half of the season, the Boston Red Sox look like they will take an aggressive approach at the trade deadline.

First base is still a need, as well as a high-leverage reliever or two. But, perhaps the Red Sox will turn their attention to the starting rotation.

Here is what MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal said on “Foul Territory”:

“A couple of weeks ago, I would have said they have to get a No. 2 starter…But, since [Brayan] Bello and [Lucas] Giolito have come on, I don’t think you need a No. 2 now. You can get the best available in a lower tier. One guy I mentioned… was Charlie Morton.”

Morton, 41, had a disastrous start to the year with the Baltimore Orioles and has a season line of 5-7 with a 5.18 ERA, a 4.34 FIP, and 88 strikeouts to 38 walks over 83 and 1/3 innings.

However, as Rosenthal pointed out, he was the poster child for Baltimore’s early slump and has since looked like his younger self.

The veteran spent some time as a reliever in late April and May, but since being reinstated as a starter, he is 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA, a 2.85 FIP, and 48 strikeouts to 14 walks over eight starts and 42 and 1/3 innings.

Morton is also on a one-year, $15 million deal, and the lowly Orioles figure to sell at the trade deadline. Moving off any of that money, even at the cost of a division rival benefiting from his services, would be smart for Baltimore.

Boston would not have to sacrifice much, and eating some salary for a guy who can eat innings feels like a fair swap.

Morton is not the sexiest name out there. But flashiness does not always win, and as the dog days approach, adding quality veterans could help catapult this team from postseason contender to pennant threat.

Related: Red Sox Could Target 3.34 ERA Starter

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.