Braves bring back Charlie Morton for potential farewell
The Braves are giving beloved veteran starting pitcher Charlie Morton, whom the club drafted in 2002, the chance to retire with the franchise.
Morton, 41, will join the Braves on Tuesday after he was released by the Tigers. The team announced the move Monday evening. It’s unclear whether Morton will appear in a game for the Braves or if his acquisition is more ceremonial. Morton hasn’t confirmed this is his final season, but it appears likely.
“Until we get him here and talk through everything, we don’t really have a plan,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We got him back. So I don’t know what that plan will be. I talked with him Saturday afternoon before batting practice (the Braves were in Detroit). This wasn’t even on the radar. So we’ll go over that once we get him here and see.”
Morton has had a distinguished 18-year career, pitching for seven teams, but he’s best recognized as a Brave. Morton started as a Braves farmhand in the early 2000s, making his MLB debut in 2008 before he was traded the following season. Morton went on to become a two-time All-Star, World Series champion (2017), and was considered one of baseball’s most reliable starters.
Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos brought Morton back in 2021, one of his shrewder moves as an executive. Morton helped the Braves win the World Series in his first year back with the team, suffering a broken leg in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
Overall, Morton has a 3.87 ERA in 124 starts for the Braves. He had a 4.19 ERA last season, covering at least 163 innings for his fourth straight season with the team. The Braves, though, opted not to re-sign Morton, who weighed retirement but instead joined the Orioles on a one-year, $15 million deal. Baltimore has spring training in Sarasota, Florida, near Morton’s family home in Bradenton.
“To my understanding, I just wasn’t the best fit for the situation for (the Braves),” Morton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in March. “So I don’t know, other than that, any particulars. That could be a myriad of reasons. That could be financial — they could be handcuffed financially — or they just didn’t want to try to compete in the market. Maybe it’s like, ‘Hey, he’s 41 years old.’ I don’t know.”
Morton mostly underwhelmed with the Orioles, and they faded early from the playoff race. Baltimore traded him to the Tigers at the deadline. The righty had a 7.09 ERA in nine appearances for Detroit, most recently surrendering six runs while recording only four outs against the Braves over the past weekend, prompting the Tigers to move on. He has a 5.89 ERA in 32 games overall.
Now the Braves, who despite eight consecutive wins are long removed from the postseason hunt, have brought Morton back. This will allow him to be honored in front of the home crowd at Truist Park as his career comes to a close.
The Braves began their final homestand Monday. They’ll end the season Sept. 27 against the Pirates.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
