Charlie Morton will be opening the season on the other side of Pennsylvania as the Pittsburgh Pirates dealt the right-handed pitcher to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitcher David Whitehead.
In seven seasons with the Pirates, Morton battled injuries and inconsistency going 41-62 with a 4.39 ERA. The former 95th overall pick in the 2002 Major League Draft by the Atlanta Braves made his professional debut in 2008 for the Braves before coming to Pittsburgh in a trade that sent Nate McClouth to Atlanta and brought Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez to the Steel City.
The trade with the Phillies opens up $8 million for the 2016 season for the Pirates.
Whitehead comes to Pittsburgh after finishing 2015 with high-A Clearwater finishing with a 4.44 ERA in 25 starts. The 23-year-old righty went 9-11 in those starts while striking out 95 and walking 51. The Phillies drafted Whitehead, out of Elon University, in 2013 in the 34th round. Primarily used as a starter, his repertoire of pitches includes a fastball that tops out at 93 mph, a hard and heavy sinker ranging from 85-89 mph as well as a curveball.
Expect Whitehead to begin the season in the minors, most likely in Bradenton. The move of Morton now leaves the Pirates with three open spots on their 40-man roster.
