With the start of the regular season right around the corner for the Baltimore Orioles, there are still some concerns about what the starting rotation will look like without an ace.

This winter, much of the talk surrounding the Orioles was about their starting rotation. Last offseason, Baltimore made a significant splash with the acquisition of former National League Cy Young Corbin Burnes.

Unfortunately, the team knew going into the 2024 campaign that he was on the final year of his contract and would be one of the most-sought-after free agents this winter.

Despite the Orioles finally spending a bit in free agency this offseason, they were unable to bring Burnes back, leaving a void in the rotation.

With some talented pitchers rumored to be available on the trade market, the thought was that Baltimore might look to pull off another trade to replace their ace. However, with the start of the regular season nearly here, that seems increasingly unlikely.

While the team might not have pulled off a trade or signed an ace, they did add a couple of veterans in free agency to their rotation.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic (paid subscription required) recently spoke about the best under-the-radar move for the Orioles being the signing of veteran Charlie Morton to provide depth and experience for the rotation.

“Signing 41-year-old Charlie Morton, who logged a 4.19 ERA over 30 starts last season, away from the Braves. His wealth of knowledge will help the development of younger Orioles starters such as Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer.”

There are certainly some positives about the signing of Morton to a one-year deal for Baltimore. Being a veteran and a bit of a workhorse in the rotation will be a good thing for young pitchers to see and be around.

The veteran right-hander has been able to pitch at least 160 innings in each of the past four seasons, which is fairly uncommon in today’s game.

While his numbers are good, they aren’t great, and he won’t be a true replacement for Burnes in the rotation.

Due to him coming in this winter, the comparison is naturally going to be there, but expectations for the type of pitcher Morton has to be realistic.

Even though he isn’t a front-end starter in the rotation on a contender, he will provide veteran leadership and a good amount of postseason experience.

This addition could very well be what helps take pitchers like Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer to the next level like the franchise is hoping for.

Even though the move wasn’t a major splash, it could be a sneaky good signing if he throws 160 innings and has an ERA around 4.00.