Remembering the trade that brought retiring hero Charlie Morton to Pirates

Charlie Morton has officially wrapped up his illustrious MLB career. Morton pitched in parts of 18 MLB seasons, seven of which were spent with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His final outing of his career came during the last game of the 2025 season with the Atlanta Braves, which ironically came against the Pirates. Morton finished off his career in a stadium featuring the two teams that were most familiar with him on the field. Needless to say, the trade that originally landed Morton on the Pirates should still be looked back upon fondly.

The Bucs acquired Morton on June 3, 2009 from the Braves. The former third-round pick had previously made 15 starts in the major in ‘08, but struggled badly with a 6.15 ERA and 5.14 FIP. But Morton was pitching well at Triple-A at the time, and he wasn’t the only player the Pirates were getting. They also netted fellow pitching prospect Jeff Locke and outfield prospect Gorkys Hernandez in the deal. 

The Pirates had to surrender a significant player. They sent outfielder Nate McLouth to the Braves for the trio of prospects. McLouth had just posted a career year in 2008, with a 20/20 season, and led the league in doubles while putting up a .853 OPS. He also got off to another strong start to the 2009 season. While many questioned the trade at the time, it ultimately proved to be one of the most impactful moves the Pirates have ever made.

Remembering the impactful Charlie Morton-Nate McLouth trade package that helped Pirates playoff push

All three players the Pirates acquired played a role in the Pirates returning to the Postseason in 2013 in some way. After recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2012, Morton came back strong and worked to the tune of a 3.26 ERA, 3.60 FIP, and 1.28 WHIP in 20 starts and 116 innings pitched. Morton, who earned the nickname Ground Chuck while in Pittsburgh, induced a ground ball 62.9% of the time and put up a sparkling 0.47 HR/9 ratio. Morton pitched in the NLDS that season, allowing just two earned runs over 5.2 innings, but the Pirates were unable to come back, pinning the loss on his shoulders. Morton would go on to play a key role on the Pirates’ 2014 squad as well, making 26 starts while putting up a sub-4.00 ERA and FIP. 

Jeff Locke had the best season of his career in 2013. Locke tossed 166.1 innings while putting up a 3.52 ERA, 4.03 FIP, and 1.38 WHIP. His 2013 season was defined by two halves. The left-hander made the All-Star Game after putting up just a 2.11 ERA and 3.76 FIP. But during the second half of the year, Locke had a 6.66 ERA and 4.63 FIP. While Locke struggled down the line, the Pirates couldn’t have gotten it done without him.

Hernandez didn’t play a single game with the 2013 Pirates, but he was used to acquire first baseman Gaby Sanchez at the 2012 trade deadline. Sanchez's 2013 season flew under the radar, given how many impressive performances there were on the Pirates that year. He played a part-time role, collecting 320 plate appearances over 132 games, but he slashed .251/.361/.402 with a 118 wRC+. Sanchez didn’t hit for much power, with just seven home runs, but he struck out just 15.9% of the time with a 13.8% walk rate. 

Charlie Morton’s MLB career may be over, but the sort of impact he and the trade that brought him to Pittsburgh had won’t be forgotten. He may have had better years after his days with the Pirates, but without Morton and the rest of the players that were brought in alongside him, the Pirates’ road back to Buctober would have been a lot more difficult