Astros, Charlie Morton agree to $14 million, 2-year deal
HOUSTON — Right-hander Charlie Morton agreed to a contract with Houston on Wednesday, giving the Astros two of the best groundball pitchers in the majors.
Morton accepted a $14 million, two-year deal that includes annual salaries of $7 million and performance bonuses of $625,000 apiece for 12, 20, 25 and 30 starts each season.
Morton, who ranks second in the majors among active pitchers in career groundball to fly ball ratio (2.48), joins a staff that features last year’s American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel, a lefty who leads the league in that category (2.84).