Rays need to lock up Charlie Morton deal soon

The veteran pitcher is now a free agent and Tampa Bay Rays should lock in a one year deal.

Charlie Morton will be 37 by the time Opening Day rolls around in 2021. Despite that, he still has a role to play in the starting rotation at the Rays. The experience that Morton has, such as winning the World Series with the Astros, should not be discarded lightly.

Having Morton available with a reduced workload could work out well for both player and team. Although 2020 was not a vintage one for Morton (4.74 ERA, 1.396 WHIP), shoulder problems may account for some of the deterioration. It is worth remembering that Morton would have been entrusted with game 7 of the World Series had it been required.

Baseball Savant is showing that Morton has lost 1.3mph on his four-seamer fastball since last year. As Morton gets older, he will need to rely on other pitches rather than speed to get him out of trouble. This shouldn’t be a deterrent from signing Morton to another deal.

According to Jon Morosi on Twitter, Morton’s preference is to stay in Florida and be close to his family. He has four young children and having to relocate would be unsettling for the Morton family. However, according to Morosi via his agent, he is willing to “keep an open mind” to offers from other teams.

One team that could be keen on Morton is the New York Mets. The New York Post reported that the Mets could be interested in signing the pitcher. A quick look at social media shows how well that Morton is regarded by baseball fans. Teams such as the Astros and the Mariners could be interested in a deal for the free agent.

Rays fans are very keen to see Morton back in a Rays uniform next year. In a poll on our Twitter account, a resounding 89% preferred the pitcher to other free agents.