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The Detroit Tigers made several trades leading up to the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline. In all, the AL Central leaders gave manager AJ Hinch more options to work with in the bullpen and starting rotation. Hinch is very familiar with one of these new faces — 41-year-old starting pitcher Charlie Morton, who came over through a last-minute trade with the Baltimore Orioles.
Morton and Hinch previously crossed paths during their time with the Houston Astros. The veteran hurler spent two seasons in Houston and won the World Series with Hinch in 2017. During his Houston tenure, the 41-year-old Morton pitched to a 3.36 ERA with 364 strikeouts to 114 walks.
“His presence alone will be really good for this team,” Hinch said before facing the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, via Chris McCoskey of The Detroit News. “He’s steady. He never gets too high or too low; he’s done it, seen it, experienced it. He’s gotten some of the most important outs and he’s also had to fight and claw his way back into being a factor this year.”
Tigers' AJ Hinch ‘excited' to have Charlie Morton in locker room
The Tigers believed they needed depth in the starting rotation. Detroit lost Reese Olson for the season due to a shoulder injury. And All-Star pitcher Casey Mize has recently developed a knee issue. As a result, the Tigers traded for Chris Paddack and added Morton with seconds to spare at the deadline.
Morton has a very solid track record over his 18 year career. He has two World Series rings to his name, winning his second in 2021 with the Atlanta Braves. He is also a two-time All-Star and an all around valuable veteran presence. The 2025 season has shown a lot about who the 41-year-old is as a competitor, in fact.
Morton had a horrific start to the 2025 season that is still inflating his numbers to some extent. Part of this brutal start includes an April 26th outing in which he allowed three runs in three innings against the Tigers' offense. Still, he has bounced back, pitching to a 3.62 ERA over his last 14 starts. Having the drive to salvage his season in this manner has left Hinch quite impressed.
“For someone with that kind of experience to still be hungry to be great, that’s a good addition for us,” the Tigers manager said, via McCoskey. “I was impressed by the fact that he resurrected his season based on how it started and how he finished his Orioles tenure. He’s ready to go. He’ll be energized coming to this team and the expectations that come with it.”
Detroit's newest starter will join the team on Saturday in Philadelphia. Morton is scheduled to make his Tigers debut on Sunday against the Phillies.
