Even at age 38, Charlie Morton has been one of the better pitchers for the Braves — and in all of baseball — this season. Atlanta has taken notice, and he has been rewarded for his efforts:
#Braves Extend Charlie Morton: pic.twitter.com/ON075igt4Q
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 6, 2021
After locking down a hot Rockies offense at home over seven innings last night, the Braves decided to make the signing official on Labor Day. This is a topic I expected to cover this offseason, but I’m perfectly happy that it has happened already. I think it’s a big win for both sides, especially considering they have the option to terminate after 2022 if things don’t go according to plan. Morton certainly deserves a raise from his $15 million salary in 2021, and I was very keen on bringing him back in 2022 anyways. Morton had a semi-slow start to 2021, but he was one of the best pitchers in baseball in June. He has carried that success over. In his last 15 starts, Morton has a 2.74 ERA over 92 innings with an impressive 0.89 WHIP.
Without Mike Soroka for the foreseeable future, keeping Morton around as a reliable arm that can eat innings and dominate in spurts is paramount. The Braves have a ton of starting pitching depth, but bringing back Morton was a no-brainer to me. His contract being team-friendly is just icing on the cake.
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