Andy Martino of SNY reported that the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees held trade conversations regarding RHP Charlie Morton, who was eventually traded to the Detroit Tigers.
While he’s enjoyed a strong career, logging 2,258 innings with seven different teams, the last year has seen a sharp decline for the veteran starter.
He held a 5.42 ERA with 16 home runs allowed, moving in and out of Baltimore’s bullpen due to his struggles, and one of the players they demanded for a struggling player was Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz according to Martino.
The no. 4 ranked prospect in the Yankees’ organization in our trade deadline update, ERC has been one of the best pitchers in Minor League Baseball this year, and that kind of demand looks…silly to say the least.
Prices were high at the deadline, and the Orioles made an outrageous demand of the Yankees in order to facilitate a rare in-division deal.
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The Orioles Slapped An Insane Price Tag on a Potential Charlie Morton Trade to the Yankees
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, and is right behind Carlos Lagrange on our most recent prospect ranking for the top arm in the Yankees’ system.
Baltimore hoped to land the former Red Sox farmhand in a trade for Charlie Morton, but the Yankees clearly had zero interest in making such a deal.
The 22-year-old has a 2.58 ERA and 2.61 FIP across 23 outings between High-A and Double-A, not skipping a beat since his promotion to Somerset.
Morton on the otherhand has been brutal in Detroit, getting lit up by the Mets yesterday to increase his ERA on the season to 5.51.
To put it simply; such a deal would have been a fireable offense for the Yankees, who would have been in a deeper hole had they removed Cam Schlittler from the rotation for Charlie Morton.
While the young right-hander has flourished since the trade deadline, sporting a 1.60 ERA in six starts, Morton has posted a 5.81 ERA and 4.45 FIP with his new ballclub.
The strikeout rate is up, but Morton’s poor command leaves him vulnerable to walks and damage contact, making him ineffective as a starter.
Mike Elias would have fleeced the Yankees had they budged on this deal, as it would have been a complete disaster for New York.
