The Braves may not have played particularly well on their last road trip, but fans were treated with a pleasant surprise on Labor Day as Charlie Morton inked a one-year extension with the team worth $20 million. The deal also comes with a team-friendly club option for 2023, which would pay him $20 million again but does not include any money for a buyout, so the Braves could cut ties with him for nothing if 2022 doesn’t go as planned. However, if Morton continues to toss the rock like he has been this season, I expect him to be in Atlanta for at least two more years.
Here’s what the 37-year-old had to say about his decision to stay with the Braves:
"It was getting hard for me to look at next year and think that I wasn't going to play. And I love it here."
Charlie Morton discusses his decision to sign a contract extension with the @Braves. pic.twitter.com/OPllLLgnKj
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) September 7, 2021
If you didn’t want to watch the video, I will explain the gist of it. Morton talks about how the Braves approached him in July about a potential extension. At that time, he was still unsure if he wanted to play another season. However, as the calendar continued to turn, he felt like there was no way he wasn’t going to continue playing next year. Morton also talked about how his love for the organization and the guys in the clubhouse played a huge role; not to mention, the offer from the Braves wasn’t too shabby either.
Morton may turn 38 next year, but you could argue he’s pitching as well as he ever has over his entire career. His fastball is sitting in the high-90s, and his curveball remains one of the deadliest pitches in the league. Over 158 innings this season, Morton has the lowest WHIP (1.063) of his career and the third-lowest FIP (3.29). This is a player who continually seems to get better with age; as long as he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to believe he can’t lead this staff for another year or two.
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