Braves 'Might Eventually' Sign Charlie Morton to Team-Friendly Deal: Insider

MLB.com's Mark Bowman argued Thursday that the Atlanta Braves could still reunite with right-hander Charlie Morton on a team-friendly contract.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Anyone following the Charlie Morton free agent updates for the Atlanta Braves has been on a bit of a roller coaster for a couple months. That doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon.

On Jan. 2, MLB.com's Mark Bowman suggested that a Braves-Morton reunion is not the club's first choice but is also far from dead.

"The Braves have understandably looked at other options, but they might eventually have to come back to the 41-year-old Charlie Morton, who has made it clear he's open to pitching at least one more season," Bowman wrote. "Morton has been a key piece of Atlanta's rotation each of the past four seasons, and he has aided the development of young starters like Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach.

"He might no longer be a frontline starter, but with a one-year deal worth approximately $10 million, he could provide the Braves some needed insurance in their rotation. He has made 30-plus starts each of the past six 162-game seasons."

Bowman's suggestion that a Braves-Morton reunion could still happen comes just a little more than three weeks after The Athletic's David O'Brien reported that Morton coming back to Atlanta seemed "unlikely" because there had been no recent contract discussions between the two sides.

Other reports in late October and November also pointed toward a possible Braves-Morton reunion or divorce.

If the Braves do court Morton back on a $10 million deal, they would have the 41-year-old on a team-friendly contract. Last season, Morton made $20 million. Morton hasn't received less than $15 million in a full season since 2018.

Morton went 8-10 with a 4.19 ERA, 1.325 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 165.1 innings during 2024. He is 45-34 with a 3.87 ERA since returning to the Braves before the 2021 season.

In addition to starting at least 30 games in each of the past four seasons, Morton has thrown 163 or more innings every year since 2021. He also eclipsed that innings thershold in 2018 and 2019.

Morton made the American League All-Star team in both 2018 and 2019.

He turned 41 in November, but Morton has expressed a desire to pitch again in 2025 "for the right team." To be the "right team," Morton would presumably have to be pitching close to his family.

O'Brien wrote on Dec. 11 that Morton "would strongly prefer" to play for a team that has its spring training facility located by his family in Bradenton, FL. In addition to the Braves, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees host spring training near or in Bradenton.

Morton has previously pitched for the Pirates, Rays and Phillies in his MLB career.

It's not clear, though, if he is interested in returning to one of those teams or if any of those clubs are pursing Morton.

In 17 MLB seasons, Morton owns a 138-123 record with a 4.01 ERA. He has also submitted a 1.307 WHIP and 2,047 strikeouts in 383 games.