Charlie Morton Returns to the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves have finalized the signing of veteran pitcher Charlie Morton to a Major League contract. The announcement came after his designation for assignment and subsequent release by the Detroit Tigers. Manager Brian Snitker has not confirmed whether 41-year-old Morton will participate in the final week of the season’s games with the Braves. The pitcher will join the team on Tuesday.This will be Morton’s third stint with the Braves. He was selected by Atlanta in the third round of the 2002 draft. He made his major league debut with the team in 2008 and later played for the Pirates, Phillies, Astros, and Rays before returning to Atlanta for the 2021-24 seasons. In January, Morton signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Orioles and was traded to the Tigers before the trade deadline in July. Morton won the World Series title with the Astros in 2017 and with the Braves in 2021. In the current season, Morton has a 9-11 record with an ERA of 5.89 in 32 games, including 26 starts. Throughout his career, he has a record of 147-134 in 415 games (406 starts) and 2,266 innings pitched. His 2,195 strikeouts position him as the sixth active pitcher with the most strikeouts in MLB. In related moves, Atlanta sent right-handed pitcher Jhancarlos Lara to Triple-A Gwinnett and designated right-handed pitcher Carson Ragsdale for assignment.We don’t have a defined plan. We’ve recovered it. I don’t know what the plan will be. I spoke with him on Saturday afternoon before batting practice [in Detroit]. It wasn’t on the radar.
Brian Snitker
