The Braves have three pieces of the club set to test free agency that have all been integral the team’s success over the last five years or so. Max Fried will get all of the headlines, but A.J. Minter is a piece they would like to bring back as well, and Charlie Morton could also return if he decided to play another season.
The veteran is set to turn 41-years-old this offseason and has said over the last several years that he’s not quite sure which season will be his last. The time away from his wife and children clearly affects him, but stepping away from the game and the benefits that come with playing is not an easy thing to do.
The primary benefit being money. Charlie Morton, while perhaps not what he used to be, is still a more than serviceable starter at the major-league level that could help any team with a need for starting pitching. That’s not an area where the Braves struggled this season, but with Max Fried potentially walking, retaining Charlie Morton could be in the cards.
Per Spotrac, Morton’s projected market value is one year, $17.6 million. That’s right in line with what he’s made for the Braves over the last two seasons, when he signed a one-year, $20 million contract ahead of the 2023 season with a $20 million club option for 2024, which the Braves picked up.
I would say a very similar deal could be on the table from the Braves if Charlie Morton wants to keep playing. However, it’s also dependent on Alex Anthopoulos, who could feel like there are better options available. Like Max Fried, for example, if the money is right. Anthopoulos could also prefer other avenues after doing such a fantastic job last offseason, acquiring Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez for basically nothing, who both turned in All-Star campaigns, with Sale likely to be named the NL Cy Young very soon.
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Photo: John Adams/Icon Sportswire
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