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Veteran Orioles Hurler With World Series Experience Emerges as Trade Candidate for Cubs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Griffin Goodwyn | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 7:30 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs have seen stiff competition emerge not only across the National League but also within their division as the trade deadline draws closer. The Cubs, once the holders of the best record in baseball, are now second in the NL Central and sit one game behind a resurgent Milwaukee Brewers squad that has won its last 11 games.

As the North Siders progress in the second half of their season and look to usurp their division rivals, the trade market serves as a place where they can find valuable pieces that will help put them over the top. Starting pitching, specifically, is one area where the club needs to see the most improvement, even with Shota Imanaga's return from injury and Matthew Boyd's breakout All-Star campaign.

According to The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma, the Cubs have recently been connected with a veteran option who can resolve those issues. Baltimore Orioles hurler Charlie Morton, a two-time World Series champion who, despite being 41 years old, has plenty left in the tank.

"The Baltimore Orioles signed Morton to a one-year, $15 million contract last winter, hoping he could stabilize their rotation and bring some gravitas to a club with World Series aspirations. By the end of April, though, the Orioles had demoted Morton to the bullpen, part of a team-wide malaise that got the manager fired (Brandon Hyde) and forced the front office into sell mode," Mooney and Sharma wrote.

"Morton’s first start following the All-Star break – an 11-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays – was not good. But he looked much better in June (3-0, 2.88 ERA in five starts), and he beat the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets in his previous July starts. He had been a solidly above-average pitcher for nearly a decade."

Morton is in the midst of one of his worst seasons in the past decade-plus, pitching to a 5-8 record, 5.58 ERA, and 1.56 WHIP across 88.2 innings pitched in 21 appearances (including 15 starts). But he can still serve as a reliable innings eater and provide the Cubs with championship-caliber experience, having won titles with the Houston Astros in 2017 and Atlanta Braves in 2021.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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