The Braves are bringing back veteran right-hander Charlie Morton for another season in 2024, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, as the club will exercise their $20MM team option on his services. Meanwhile, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays that the club is expected to decline their club option on veteran reliever Kirby Yates, opting to pay him a $1.25MM buyout rather than a $5.75MM salary for 2024. Atlanta also announced they’ve bought out right-hander Collin McHugh for $1MM instead of a $6MM option.
Morton at one point publicly indicated uncertainty as to whether he’d pitched beyond his mid-30s, but he’s remained a high-quality starter who’ll now return to Atlanta for a fourth year in what will be his age-40 campaign. The veteran righty started 30 games with the Braves this past season, pitching to a 3.64 ERA with a 25.6% strikeout rate, 11.6% walk rate and 43.3% ground-ball rate over the life of 163 1/3 innings. That walk rate was abnormally high for Morton, who’d issued a free pass to just 8% of his opponents in the past six seasons combined, but his fastball velocity held strong at 95 mph.
While Morton isn’t necessarily the top-tier starter he was during his first season in Atlanta, he remains a quality mid-rotation arm. Given the strength of Atlanta’s pitching, he needn’t be any more than that, either. Lefty Max Fried and young righty Spencer Strider rank among the National League’s best starters, and Morton gives manager Brian Snitker and the organization a playoff-tested veteran to slot into the rotation behind that excellent pairing.
Righty Bryce Elder’s breakout 2023 campaign likely secured him a 2024 rotation spot as well, and the Braves currently have righties AJ Smith-Shawver, Michael Soroka, Ian Anderson (returning from Tommy John surgery) and lefties Dylan Dodd, Jared Shuster and Kolby Allard as depth options beyond that group. Kyle Wright will miss the 2024 season after undergoing October shoulder surgery, making Morton’s return and the steadiness that he brings to the table all the more pivotal.
The $20MM price point at which Morton returns has become the going rate for mid-rotation help — particularly given the short term of the deal. Fellow righties like Jameson Taillon (four years, $68MM) and Taijuan Walker (four years, $72MM) secured $17-18MM annual salaries on longer-term deals elsewhere in the league with the general expectation of functioning as third/fourth starters. With that salary now locked in, Atlanta’s payroll pushes north of $202MM, per Roster Resource — though trades, potential non-tenders and future free agent dealings will surely alter that number in the weeks and months to come.
As for Yates, he’ll head back to the open market after spending the past two seasons in Atlanta. The Braves inked him to a two-year, $8.25MM contract in the 2021-22 offseason, knowing he’d miss the majority of the ’22 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The former All-Star closer and 2019 NL saves leader (41) was one of the game’s best relievers during a brief two-year peak, but he pitched just seven innings in 2022 and battled considerable command issues this past season.
While Yates’ 3.28 ERA during his second Braves campaign was plenty solid, he also walked 14.6% of his opponents. At his best, Yates anchored the Padres’ bullpen with a 1.67 ERA, 38.7% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate, but that form wasn’t on display in Atlanta this year. The Braves were discouraged enough — and possess enough pitching depth — to turn down a net $4.5MM call on Yates, who’ll now head back to the open market in search for a new opportunity in advance of his age-37 season.
McHugh also spent two years as a Brave after signing as a free agent. He had a strong first season but struggled to a 4.30 ERA with a modest 17.5% strikeout rate in 2023. His season ended in early September when he landed on the injured list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder.
Meanwhile, Atlanta will rely on a relief corps headlined by Raisel Iglesias, A.J. Minter and recent re-signees Joe Jimenez (three years, $26MM) and Pierce Johnson (two years, $14.25MM). Both trade acquisitions were set to be free agents before putting pen to paper on new contracts within the past five weeks.
That is a lot of money based on the most recent results. But Morton is a competitor.
He has not done too well in even-numbered years of late and has an ERA of 4.02 over the last four years. And last year, 4.6 walks per nine innings and a fip of 3.87.
Turns 40 in 5 days
He was ok in ‘23, but is he, a 40 year old, really worth $20 million? He’ll be a good veteran in the rotation, but I’m a bit surprised the Braves exercised his contract.
Compare him to Stroman or Walker……he’s a bargain.
Holy overpay! I like Chuck, but come on.
I have a sneaking suspicion we are running back the same rotation next year and expecting different results come playoff time…smh
The results really weren’t bad in the playoffs when you only consider the guys they were counting on. Spencer and Max both pitched well. Elder doesn’t start game 3 if Morton is healthy. Morton just got hurt at an inopportune time, and credit to the Phillies for playing a great series.
I would like to see them add one more dependable starter though, only because Braves pitching seems to struggle to stay healthy. But we’ll see.
It’s an underpay. Morton was 22% better than league average and put up a 3.1 WAR season. Easily worth $20 million on a one year deal.
& he’s a year older now, coming off a mysterious finger injury…
I’m sure the Braves wouldn’t have exercised the option if they had even the slightest concern his finger injury would hinder him at all.
What am I missing here on Yates? That makes zero sense. Waiting for the full article on this one for sure.
He’s ded.
You can’t bring back the whole gang if you want new riders in your posse.
For real, other braves fans hate him for some reason. Listening to some of these guys you would thing he is John Rocker!
My theory is he would have retired rather than come back for less money. $20 million is a bit much for him in my opinion, but it’s not a $20 million question, it’s whether or not saving $3-$8 million is worth having to replace 150 innings (quality innings at that). It’s a lot less trouble to just pay him
Great take. I also don’t think it was worth the gamble to decline the option to try and save 2 or 3 million dollars. Easier just to exercise the option, and he can be the bridge to (hopefully) the return of a healthy Kyle Wright.
Kirby Yates seems like he is well worthy of $3.5 million. Declining that option is weird.
It’ a $4.5 difference.
Whoops. Could blame fat fingers, but it was just a blunder, That being said, he is still worth $4.5 million, especially if Morton is worth $20 million.
Your math isn’t mathing.
Roster crunch. They prob also think they’ve got enough young guys on minimum deals if need be. The also have the super closer from Florida down in 3A.
He is replaceable with a younger cheaper option.
They said Natess on Yates.
You guys are forgetting Morton owns the Dodgers in the playoffs.
There’s playoff aces and he seems to be one. Which at the end of the day is really what matters in my opinion.
Team decision on Morton—
Decline it and renegotiate. Put innings thresholds or number of starts into it.
Or don’t!
Nah, nothing can go wrong.
Uhhg. I don’t approve of this. 20 mil on a geezer.
Healthy for most of the regular season
Injured for most of the playoffs.
I’m sure that will get better with age.
He has so far…
20 mil might be a bit much. The Braves could’ve declined the option and hoped he would resign for 15-18 mil but I don’t think that was never an option. Morton is still a solid rotation piece. Veterans are worth it.
Yeah veterans are worth it. Just ask the Mets
Both of the Mets “veterans” made the playoffs without the Mets. Also they each made TWICE as much money as Charlie is making and Charlie was more valuable than both of them. I don’t think that was a veteran problem. That was a Mets being Mets problem.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again- Charlie Morton’s “I’ve basically made up my mind and I am retiring” approach to negotiating new contracts is brilliantly unique and effective.
After 2024 it will have been SIX years since Morton first swore he was retiring, only to be ‘lured’ back by 2 years/$30M in Tampa from 2018-2019. Then at the end of 2019, he again swore he was probably going to retire and he was probably done. Comes back for 1 year/$15M with Atlanta. Granted, the 1 year/$20M w/ an option at $20M that he re-signed for with Atlanta did not come with ‘probably gonna retire’ talk, but still…
For a guy who seemed like he was fully prepared and embracing of being done and retiring, playing six more years and managing to earn $105M when he’d previously earned just under $44.1M when he initially claimed he was going to retire is pretty clever and hilarious.
I’m guessing the Braves approached Charlie with a lower offer and he turned it down, so they locked him in with the option.
Or they just decided that it was only a difference of $5M-$6M and at Morton’s level with the option right there, it was best to just exercise the option and there was no lower offer.
“Hey man, could you be cool and take what would be nominally less money for us to spend and significantly less money for you to earn?”
I know it happens- guys will have a $6M option declined only to re-sign at $4M or something like that, but it is rare.
I doubt they viewed him as being worth less than $15M a year at his level of performance in 2023 and that $20M salary was agreed upon at the conclusion of a campaign where he put up very similar numbers to his 2023 performance, so the option pick up ultimately makes sense, even if it is a slight overpay- and only slight.
I’d take a flyer on Yates if it’s around 4-5 Mill
I like this deal as long as it doesn’t stop us from getting Gray.
I am thinking Soroka is gonna be non-tendered.
There should be a young cheap LF that AA can make a trade for.
Still has the Grissom asset in his pocket.
With all the salary coming off the books I don’t see why they can’t still get Gray.
A rotation of
Fried
Gray
Strider
Morton
Elder
With Dodd, AS-S, Vines & Shuster for depth when needed is not bad.
I’m actually glad they are moving on from Yates. 5 mil for a dude that constantly walked batters and was a toss up in each outing.
The problem isn’t giving Morton $20M…its crying broke when it comes to rounding out the roster because they gave a 40 yr old $20M.
They don’t cry broke, they don’t listen to pleas for an overpay. While The Boras Books are good reading material, they aren’t useful in getting a few extra million from ATL’s corporate cold dead hands.
Crying broke? They were top 10 in payroll last year, this isn’t the Royals!
They have been top 2 in attendance in MLB last 2 seasons and spent $0 on major league free agents last offseason.
Not true, they signed Jackson Stephens, Kevin Pillar. Granted, it’s not much, but context is your friend. AA traded for closer Iglesias (and his remaining contract) from LAA to replace outgoing RP Jansen, avoiding overpaying for a closer in FA. Also did something similar dealing for DET RP Joe Jimenez, avoiding overpaying in an inflated RP market in FA. He also made possibly the most impactful traded of the ’23 season by acquiring (then extending) C Sean Murphy. There’s not much value in free agency, and more overpays than anything, which is why AA usually fills holes with it – depending on the FA class.
Just bow out of this one guy.
They were minor league deals. Jordan Luplow was the 1 major league contract and his contract was picked up by another team shortly after the season started.
What does this headline say?: mlbtraderumors.com/2022/12/braves-sign-jackson-ste…
Pillar was a minor league contract, but your statement they committed “$0 to major league free agents” does not even apply to him as he was a ML FA.
Hopefully Mortons 2023 version of Charlie instead of 2022. I like it IF it doesn’t stop them from adding another arm.
You don’t have to pay for overpriced FA when 8 out of your 9 starters are on long-term deals….dummy.
Steep price for Morton…would have preferred they trade for Sale. Would still love for them to sign Brantley. Would be a perfect fit for their lineup.
Brantley yes please, always loved the guy. Chris sale however? No thanks, he’s never healthy and a shell of his former self.
Feels like too much, they could have renegotiated. His underlying numbers last year show his ERA involved some fortunate luck. I love the guy but it seemed like the time to cut a new deal or cut ties.
Based on his WAR, $20 million is actually around what he was worth in 2023. Obviously, there will be a significant drop off at some point, but even if that happens next year, I don’t think the Braves could’ve afforded to not bring him back.
Morton’s biggest ability has been his ability as he’s made at least 30 starts in all five of the last full seasons. For a rotation that has varying levels of either injury or performance questions after Strider, I don’t think you can turn down that kind of dependability.
And if the falls off the cliff at age 40? It’s only a year compared to what the other free agent pitchers are going to get. They’ll still need to add one, but I think this allows them to be more patient and not overpay on the market.
“While Morton isn’t necessarily the top-tier starter he was during his first season in Atlanta”
When he had a 6.15 ERA in 15 starts? He’s come a long way in the 15 years since – I think someone forgot Morton was originally a Brave.
It’s actually a bit ironic because became a solid-to-great major league starter considering he was very much on that Indy ball in five years track his first few years. Whatever he found in Pittsburgh or Houston made him millions.