10 Days to Go: Cubs linked to Charlie Morton before trade deadline

Mitch Stringer - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 5 hours ago

With 10 days to go until the MLB Trade Deadline, it's only a matter of time until that first domino falls. Once it does, things will start to fall into place, as several teams will be in a position to make some major moves to improve their teams. One of those teams is expected to be the Chicago Cubs, who now find themselves tied for first in the NL Central after being in first place all by themselves since mid-April.

If there was ever a time to capitalize on this season and jump into the trade market, the time is now, as the Cubs can't afford to waste what has been an impressive season. One of the areas the Cubs will continue to target is the starting pitching market, as this team desperately needs another starting pitcher.

No one is saying the Cubs' starting pitching has been bad, but with Jameson Taillon on the IL, Colin Rea or Cade Horton would be the team's No. 3 in the playoffs, and that won't be enough to make a deep run. Even if Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga continue to pitch the way they have, this team needs at least one more arm to add to their mix, and they would prefer one who has either multiple years of control or playoff experience.

When it comes to playoff experience, there aren't many pitchers who have more experience than Charlie Morton, who is now being mentioned as another potential target for the Cubs. The 41-year-old righty continues to be a successful starter at the Major League level and was linked as a free agent fit for the team this past offseason before signing with the Orioles.

Ideally, the Cubs would love to make a bigger splash than this, but when you look at the trade market, many big-name starters may not be available. If Morton is one of the starters available, they need to take a swing at him. Despite going through a down year where he finds himself sitting at 5-8 with an ERA north of 5.5, Morton has been trending in the right direction for a while, and that alone is worth noting.

Record aside, Morton has as much playoff experience as anyone in the game, and you can bet that once the playoffs start, he will turn in some quality outings as he tends to shine when the lights are at their brightest. Once a guy who would average close to 98 MPH with his heater, age has certainly caught up to him, but that doesn't mean he has lost it all just yet.

He can still rush that heater up there close to 96 MPH while his change-up and breaking ball continue to miss bats. Over 88.2 innings this season with the Orioles, he does have 92 strikeouts, which proves he still has the stuff to miss bats. The 41 walks are a concern as the command is starting to slip, but with seven earned runs across his last four starts, you are beginning to see the Morton of old round into form at the perfect time.

Given his age and the poor ERA numbers, a decline is expected, so some may wonder why the Cubs would even consider bringing him in. Well, several reasons won't show up in the numbers, and that is why this team has scouts to do that homework for us. The biggest reason the Cubs are showing interest is that Morton has not only been good, but has been consistently good for a very long time.

His velocity remains about the same as usual, and his contact quality metrics are similar to those of the last few years, even as he continues to age. If anything, the command has slipped, but not enough to make him a liability in going deep into games. Another thing the Cubs love about Morton is his ability to make in-season adjustments, which he has shown this season.

Even if some bad luck has been involved in his season, Morton still isn't having the year he would like to have, which has forced him to make adjustments throughout the season. One of the adjustments he has made is an increased use of his curveball, while also changing the grip on his changeup.

That alone has seen him post an ERA of 3.47 in his last handful of starts, which leads you to believe that more good fortunes are on the way. The primary reason the Cubs or anyone else may be looking to add Morton is his extensive playoff experience. That alone is something you can't coach, as Morton knows what it takes to win in the postseason.

In 18 career playoff starts, Morton has given his teams 92 innings of work while posting a 7-5 record to go with a 3.60 ERA. That includes a 1-1 record in four career World Series starts with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, with one of those starts coming on a broken leg. That alone is what you call a dog willing to give it his all for his team, and the Cubs need more of those players in their clubhouse.