Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano can't replace $210,000,000 ace, per MLB insider

Thus far, the Baltimore Orioles have only added Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to their starting rotation for the upcoming season, even though this was supposed to be the primary focus of their off-season. At the same time, the Orioles also lost their ace, Corbin Burnes, after he signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a free agent last month.

MLB insider Robert Murray believes the additions of Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano will not be enough to fill the void left by the exit of Corbin Burnes. He feels the Orioles will need to bring in a top-notch starting pitcher to challenge for a playoff berth from the extremely competitive American League East.

Robert Murray is an MLB columnist for Fansided and also the co-host of The Baseball Insiders podcast. He offered his thoughts on the current state of the Baltimore Orioles starting rotation during the show on Monday. [4:00 - 8:31]

"They added [Tomoyuki] Sugano, and they added Charlie Morton, but they lost Corbin Burnes," he said. "That is a huge piece to lose, both short-term and long-term. And if you have the opportunity, if you're the Orioles, to go out and get a Dylan Cease or one of these upper-echelon starting pitchers, I think you have to go do it. I'd not rule the Orioles from adding another starting pitcher.

"If you think that Sugano and Charlie Morton are going to end up replacing Corbin Burnes, both short- and long-term, you're going to be in for a rude awakening," he added. "So, that's why I think, they're not quite done yet.

41-year-old Charlie Morton signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the team after finishing his five-year spell with the Atlanta Braves. Last month, they had acquired Japanese veteran Tomoyuki Sugano on a one-year $13 million deal, and he is set to join the MLB at the age of 35.

"There's still over a month left": Robert Murray on Orioles adding another starter along with Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano

Charlie Morton is a two-time World Series champion (Image Source: Imagn)

Robert Murray claimed that the Baltimore Orioles cannot expect Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to deliver what Corbin Burnes offered to the team last year, so they will need to add a frontline starting pitcher during this off-season. He feels the franchise is blessed with immense talent in their roster and farm system, so it will be a failure if they do not use it to hand a potential ace to their rotation.

"They have so many star-level young players and a core that I don't think anybody in baseball, at least from a young talent perspective, can really match. This is such a unique opportunity and if they don't go out and get another high-end starting pitcher, if they don't add some high end talent to that roster, this could end up being a massive opportunity that's blown."

"It took deep into the off-season last year for them to go out and get Corbin Burnes, and there's still over a month left until pitchers and catchers report. You still have a six- to seven-week window to go out and add players," he added. "I understand the frustration, but let's be patient for now. But the criticism is warranted."

Despite being at the twilight of his career, Charlie Morton has pitched over 160 innings in each of the last six 162-game seasons. Meanwhile, Tomoyuki Sugano is a two-time winner of the Eiji Sawamura Award, the NPB equivalent of the Cy Young.