While the Braves remain idle, another one of the top starting pitchers has come off the market. This time, it’s one of their own, as Charlie Morton has inked a one-year, $15 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
We have agreed to terms with RHP Charlie Morton on a one-year contract for the 2025 season.
Welcome to Birdland, Charlie! pic.twitter.com/QsqvAt3VLf
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) January 3, 2025
The Braves have now officially lost both Max Fried and Charlie Morton from their 2024 rotation. Fried was always expected to exit, but a one-year, $15 million deal is a more than palatable figure for Morton, who was rock solid over his four-year stint with the Braves.
Atlanta’s rotation might not be at the top of the list of needs, but some depth would certainly be appreciated. Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Spencer Strider is formidable, but they all have concerns.
Strider is going to miss at least the first few weeks of the season as he rehabs from a torn UCL. Chris Sale has an extensive injury history and is approaching 40-years-old. Reynaldo Lopez spent multiple stints on the IL due to fatigue as he returned to the rotation for the first time in five years, and Schwellenbach has yet to pitch a full season at any level of professional baseball.
Even with them all healthy, the Braves could have used another veteran like Charlie Morton to round out the rotation, especially at a $15 million price point in this market.
Perhaps this means the Braves have something better up their sleeve, but as Spring Training begins to creep up, it’s unclear exactly what the plan is to fill their holes going into the 2025 campaign.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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