When pressed to make the latest most important decision of his career, Charlie Morton returned to Atlanta in a 24-foot sprinter van.
The Braves signed Morton, a 37-year-old right-hander, Tuesday morning, bolstering a young rotation with a needed postseason-proven veteran. It also was a homecoming: The Braves traded Morton to Pittsburgh after 16 career appearances in 2009. He was part of a three-player package for outfielder Nate McLouth.
Much has changed for both parties since that deal, obviously. Morton has bounced around in the past decade, spending time with the Pirates, Phillies, Astros and Rays. Despite his age, he was an appealing free agent this winter as not only a reliable starter, but a renowned teammate.
Morton and his family reside in Bradenton, Florida, which made his past two seasons with the Rays ideal. The Braves offered similar appeal, boasting their own young, talented team and a spring training facility less than an hour’s drive from Morton’s home.
“They were aggressive early,” Morton said. “They were one of the first teams to call, and (general manager) Alex (Anthopoulos) was checking in frequently. I spoke to him a couple times. My hope was that we could stay close to home. The situation in Tampa was awesome because I got to play with an awesome group of guys. Spring training was a 55-minute drive (from home). The stadium was 40-something miles. It was great.
“That was my hope, that I’d wind up with a team that was a really good group, really talented group. It’s an hour flight from here (to home). So once the Braves called, I got pretty excited because I knew if things didn’t work out with the Rays, there was a possibility I could still end up with a team that fit that description.”
It’s no surprise the Braves were aggressive. Under Anthopoulos, that’s become their modus operandi. They identify their free-agent targets and move ahead of the market to secure them. They’ve already twice added to their rotation with veterans Morton and Drew Smyly. Most of their rivals haven’t made a significant upgrade as Thanksgiving approaches.
Negotiations moved quicker than even Morton expected. He, his wife, Cindy, and their four children (two boys and two girls, each under the age of 8) had rented the van with the intention of driving it up the coast to see family. First they would visit Morton’s father in Charleston, then see Cindy’s family in Delaware. They abandoned the second trip after family gatherings were being further regulated because of the pandemic.
While in Charleston, Morton heard from his agents and Anthopoulos.
“I had to make a decision,” Morton said. “We made the decision while we were in Charleston. They requested that we go to Atlanta to do the physical. We drove from Charleston to Atlanta. We got up there yesterday, and it was crazy. The kids were in the car, I don’t know the cumulative time, 20 hours or whatever. They’re going nuts in the backseat. People are calling, texting.”
It culminated with Morton becoming the latest Braves signee. Aside from being reunited with the franchise that developed him in the minors, he’s familiar with several individuals in the organization.
He spent a brief time with pitching coach Rick Kranitz in Philadelphia, crediting Kranitz as one of the individuals who suggested using his curveball more. Morton played with catching coach Sal Fasano in Triple-A Richmond in 2008. He played with catcher Travis d’Arnaud with the Rays in 2019.
Long ago a baby-faced Braves rookie, Morton returns as the eldest member of the team. He’ll be the rotation’s sage, leading a group that includes Mike Soroka (23), Max Fried (27 in January) and Ian Anderson (22), among other young pitchers.
“I didn’t realize how young they were until I looked up a couple of their guys,” Morton said. “I’d watch a couple of them throw from the other side. I like being around younger players. I like watching guys go about their business and try to figure themselves out, their identities, who they are, not just as professionals but as people. It’s cool to be around that, especially as an older guy.
“I got to experience a lot. The more rewarding things I get to experience now have to do with the people. This is as talented a group as you’ll find, but I’m also just excited to be in the clubhouse and be around them and get to know them.”
Since departing the Braves, Morton developed from a solid starter into one of the sport’s best pitchers – and notably, an individual who rises to the occasion in October. He said he found “an identity that worked more consistently,” one that didn’t fully come together until he joined the Astros before the 2017 season.
In Houston, Morton earned his only World Series title in 2017 and his first All-Star appearance in 2018 (at 34 years old). He left to join the Rays on a two-year deal with a club option the next winter. In 2019, Morton earned another All-Star nod and finished third in Cy Young voting with a 3.05 ERA in a career-high 33 starts.
Morton started slow in 2020, which Anthopoulos acknowledged could’ve been because of the routine changes prompted by the pandemic. He settled in and pitched well down the stretch. He was stellar in the postseason, starting the American League Championship Series Game 7 and beating his former team, the Astros, to send the Rays to the World Series.
The Rays, always financially pinched, declined Morton’s $15 million option but hoped to retain him. The Braves ultimately signed him to the same terms: one-year, $15 million. It seemed it came down to the Braves or Rays for Morton, and both organizations held similar appeal in clubhouse culture, people, the opportunity to win and geographical preference.
“I think this time more than ever, I was looking for something very specific because it was geographically influenced,” Morton said. “Proximity to home was a big thing. That’s when I started to really hope we had some options that were in this area of the country. I was happy that (the Braves) were calling early and being aggressive early.
“But I mentioned about being interested in the people I play with, I think that’s more what my focus is and would be in a group I’m hoping to play for. Not necessarily the name of a team, the label, as more the reputation of the guys. I watched that group play in the playoffs, watched them on TV, and I was really impressed. So I’m also really excited about the talent level when they called.”
Morton has stayed in contact with some players from his earlier days with the Braves, including former starters Chuck James and Jo-Jo Reyes, but he admits he doesn’t remember that much from his past Braves tenure. Most of the time was in the minors and, as he said, “It was eleven years ago. I don’t really remember a whole lot of it at all.”
Over a decade later, Morton will have the chance to create plenty more memories this time around.
