Charlie Morton, Braves Agree to 1-Year, $20M Contract for 2023 Season
September 30, 2022
Veteran starting pitcher Charlie Morton is staying put in 2023.
The Atlanta Braves signed the veteran pitcher to a $20 million deal for next season with a $20 million club option in 2024.
In 2022, the 38-year-old has seen his ERA jump to 4.29 after posting a 3.34 ERA the year before. He's posted a record of 9-6 with 200 strikeouts in 167.2 innings pitched.
A 15-year veteran, Morton began his major league career with the Braves before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates the following year. He spent six years in Pittsburgh before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 2016 season. He then spent two seasons apiece with the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays before signing with Atlanta in November 2020.
Morton won a World Series title with Houston in 2017 and was named to back-to-back All-Star Games in 2018 and 2019.
He helped power the Braves' 2021 postseason run, but he suffered a fractured fibula in Game 1 of the World Series against the Houston Astros when he got hit by a comebacker. The Braves went on to win the World Series, giving him his second championship ring.
By retaining Morton, the Braves are keeping their starting rotation intact. His veteran presence will benefit the clubhouse, and he doesn't have the pressure being the ace of the staff with Max Fried and Kyle Wright leading the way.
