Charlie Morton News: Shifting to bullpen

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday that Morton will work out of the bullpen moving forward, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

In lieu of re-signing Corbin Burnes or bringing aboard another frontline starter via trade or free agency this offseason, the Orioles brought Morton aboard on a one-year, $15 million deal with the hope that he would serve as a stable contributor in the middle of the rotation. That gambit has backfired, as Father Time appears to have finally caught up with Morton in his age-41 season. The Orioles deployed Morton in bulk relief in his last two appearances with the hope that the arrangement would yield better results, but the right-hander gave up four earned runs on six hits and six walks over six innings between those outings and now owns a 9.45 ERA and 2.17 WHIP for the season. Hyde hasn't closed the door on Morton starting again at some point down the road, but the veteran may need to turn in a few quality low-leverage appearances out of the bullpen before the Orioles insert him back into the rotation.