Washington Nationals Named Landing Spot for MLB Veteran Entering 18th Season
The Washington Nationals have a nice set of young pitchers holding their rotation and now could just use a solid veteran to bring the group together.
With Patrick Corbin leaving in free agency, his spot in the rotation will open up for the first time in years. While the Nationals could probably find another arm in their system go in the backend of their rotation, opting to sign someone with more experience could be the way to go.
That is what R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports is suggesting Washington do, as he listed them as one of the top suitors for Charlie Morton, who will be entering his 18th year in MLB.
"Despite Morton's advanced age and mileage, he continues to adapt and adjust. His curveball remains the king of its domain, but he's made a point of reducing his four-seamer usage; additionally, he's all but mothballed his once-signature sinker, bumping it to his fourth-most used pitch behind a changeup," said Anderson. "Morton has been as flexible as any non-elite pitcher in recent memory; that helps to explain why he's in position to pitch beyond his 41st birthday."
Somewhat miraculously, the veteran has avoided falling off the face of the earth in his old age. He hasn't been a Cy Young candidate in a long time, but has stayed a solid and reliable arm.
Over the last seven years of his career, he has only logged less than 30 starts once and that was during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
He was already a late bloomer as he didn't really emerge as an All-Star caliber pitcher until he was 34. He had put up some ok seasons before that, but was never a super notable pitcher.
The longevity of his career is may be more impressive than his heights as a two-time All-Star. Morton's two World Series rings may take the cake.
The near 41-year-old certainly regressed last season with a 4.19 ERA, but that's actually higher than he finished with back in 2022.
His strikeout numbers dropped but he brought his walk numbers back down to compensate.
While he won't be a staff ace anymore, he seems like the perfect candidate for a mid-to-back end of the rotation guy that can act as a leader for the young pitchers on staff.
Morton has had a storied career and likely has plenty to offer a team that is looking to take the next step.
