The Braves are reunited with old friend Charlie Morton. They signed him today for a Major League deal. He was designated for assignment by the Tigers, but apparently knew exemptions and became a free agent. Atlanta Oetmed Right-Hander JHANCARLOS LARA and referred to as correct Carson Ragsdale For allocation as corresponding movements. Manager Brian Snitker previously shared the news with Mark Bowman from MLB.com” Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal Constitution And David O’Brien van de Athletics. Bowman suggests that it is possible that the club has brought Morton on board to retire as a brave. It is indefinite whether he will throw the club in the rest of the season.
Morton, 41, did not say that he will retire, but it would not be a shock if that was his plan. He has had the opportunity for years. “It could be this year, next year, but I’m not going to keep playing long,” he said far back in April 2018. “I can promise you. I will not continue to play four, five, six, seven years.”
That was of course more than seven years ago. Since then, Morton has apparently made a conscious choice to not bind to anything. He has repeatedly signed a series of short -term agreements, apparently satisfied to keep playing as long as he remained effective.
After a Zo-Zo 2024 season in which he placed a 4.19 run average, he decided to try again in 2025. He drew a one -year -old deal, $ 15 mm with the Orioles. “I remember that I was walking off the field and just this as a sinking feeling in my stomach – it just didn’t feel right,” said Morton shortly after drawing at the O’s. “I am sure that many guys by the end of their career, they are thinking about retiring, and you really want to walk the last time off the field and you feel good about it. And many guys don’t get that chance. I just didn’t feel good.
Unfortunately this season has been even more challenging than the latter. He placed an ERA of 10.89 through five starts and was moved to the Bullpen before the end of April. He posted a number of decent results and worked in relief and got his rotation place back and then performed pretty well in the summer. He had an ERA of 3.88 in 11 starts at the end of May to the Trade Deadline, which gave him sufficient value for the Orioles to exchange him and some cash for the Tigers for Minor League Lefty Michah Ashman.
His first four starts with Detroit were fine, because he placed a 3.63 ERA in it, but things took a disastrous turn from there. He went no more than four innings in one of his last four trips as a tiger. He seemed to be completely losing the zone, 19.7% of the batters who were confronted in those four games with an era of 12.75 in that period. In his last outing as a tiger, he did not get the second inning and was stuck out of the field by a frustrated fan base because the recent slip of the club has become disastrous. The Tigers, desperately try to avoid a situation in which they miss the play -offs, cut him loose.
Atlanta has no use for Morton in a competitive sense. Their season was a lost business long ago and they are officially eliminated from making the play -offs this year. Bringing Morton on board is a sentimental choice, one that enables him to complete the season with a club with which he was very successful.
Morton was originally prepared by Atlanta in 2002 and debuted for them in 2008. From there he bounced around and spent many years with the Pirates, Astros and Rays. He returned to Atlanta in 2021 and stayed there until 2024. In those four recent seasons with Atlanta, he made at least 30 starts in each. In general, he gave the club 686 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.87.
As mentioned, it is unclear whether Morton will actually retire or whether he will take the hill in the last week of the season. But it seems possible that he is planning to go to the sunset. If that is the case and he wants to climb the hill one last time, he may be able to develop a better final act and his most recent appearance as a tiger.
Ragsdale, 27, was just a few days ago aware of the Orioles of the Orioles. He was given the option to be Triple-A Gwinnett to Triple and appeared for the Stripers. Since the Trade Deadline has long since passed, he will be free exit again in the coming days.
His record from Minor League is still quite small, consisting of only one performance for the O’s this year in which he spent eight points earned in three innings. His Minor League work was not great this year, with an ERA of 5.22 in 89 2/3 innings, but he was better a year ago. In 2024 he registered 120 2/3 innings on the farm with an ERA of 4.18, 29.1% strikeout percentage and a running speed of 11.3%.
He does not have a three -year main class service or an earlier career. This means that he does not have the right to reject outright assignments to choose a free agency. He also does not have seven years of experience in the Minor League, which means that he should not be eligible for Minor League Free Bureau at the end of the season.
Photos with thanks to Jim Rassol, Dale Zanine, imagn images
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