PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies added depth to their starting rotation Saturday, acquiring right-hander Charlie Morton from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for minor league pitcher David Whitehead.
The 32-year-old Morton has a career record of 45-70 with a 4.54 ERA. He went 9-9 with a 4.81 ERA in 23 starts for the Pirates in 2015, missing the first two months while recovering from a procedure on his hip. Morton won six of his first seven starts in 2015 but struggled after the All-Star break, going 3-7 with a 5.26 ERA in the second half.
He is scheduled to make $8 million in 2016, with a team option of $9.5 million in 2017.
Whitehead had a 9-11 record with a 4.44 ERA in 25 starts for Class A Clearwater in 2015.
Morton, who has been with Pittsburgh since 2009, is the second longtime member of the Pirates to leave in a week. Pittsburgh traded second baseman Neil Walker to the New York Mets in exchange for Jon Niese on Wednesday.
To make room for Morton on the 40-man roster, the Phillies designated right-hander A.J. Achter for assignment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
