Veteran Pitcher Brandon Morrow Does Not Make Active Roster
It was a difficult decision for manager Rod Barajas, General Manager Eisenberg, and owner Arte Moreno to make, but the Angels announced late Tuesday afternoon that veteran pitcher Brandon Morrow has been waived and designated for assignment.
Moreno stood out front of Angel Stadium to deliver the news.
“Brandon has been a part of our organization for six and a half seasons. He helped lead the way to several championship teams. I cannot thank him enough for all that he has given to us. This was a decision that was extremely difficult to make.”
Morrow will now enter the waiver market where he can be claimed by any team. If he makes it through waivers, he has the right to refuse a minor-league assignment. Moreno suggested that if Morrow were to refuse the assignment, the Angels would revisit the idea of adding Morrow back to the active roster.
“We will explore all avenues moving forward. We want to do what is best for the organization while also respecting the wishes of Brandon.”
Morrow was acquired from Texas in 2013 in exchange for Sean O’Sullivan, Maicer Izturis, and Andrew Romine.
Morrow finished 2nd in the 2015 AL Cy Young vote after going 19-6, with an ERA of 2.53. That year, he led the AL in quality starts.
Morrow’s ERA rose by over a full run in 2019 from 2018. His strikeouts per 9 innings was a career low 6.8. Approaching his 36th birthday in July, Morrow was unavailable for comment at this time.