Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Charlie Morton

At 41 years old, Charlie Morton is old enough to be some of his teammates’ father. And as far as baseball dads go, he’s been a pretty great one.

Throughout his Braves tenure, Morton’s best quality has been always showing up. He is one of only seven pitchers to make at least 30 starts and qualify for the ERA title in each of the past four seasons.

His All-Star days might be behind him, but Morton remains a durable and reliable big league starter. He can give his team a good chance to win every five days. Over 30 starts and 165.1 innings in 2024, the right-hander pitched to a 4.19 ERA and 4.43 xERA.

With all that in mind, Morton shouldn’t have any trouble finding somewhere to prolong his career in 2025.

The 17-year MLB veteran has previously considered retirement on numerous occasions. However, ESPN’s Jeff Passan says Morton has no plans to hang up his hat this year.

In that case, one has to wonder if Morton will be more flexible about where he signs this winter.

In recent offseasons, Morton suggested he might retire if he couldn’t sign with a team that played close to his offseason home of Bradenton, Florida. If he isn’t considering retirement anymore, he might have to keep a more open mind.

A pitcher like Morton could be a fit almost anywhere, since he won’t be looking for more than a one-year deal. If he follows the money, he might find the best deal with a non-contender hoping to flip him at the deadline. However, he’s earned more than enough throughout his career that he could be willing to take a discount to join a more competitive club.

Here are five potential landing spots for Charlie Morton.

Atlanta Braves

Given Morton’s well-known preference to play close to home, the Braves remain the favorites to re-sign him this offseason.

Morton has given Atlanta at least 30 starts and 162 innings each of the past four seasons. With all the injuries the Braves dealt with this past year, one can imagine they’d welcome a reunion with such a reliable arm. Then again, despite his strong track record, a 41-year-old pitcher is never going to be a completely risk-free option.

The Braves are probably going to sign at least one proven and durable starting pitcher this winter. Yet, they might be ready to move on from Morton in favor of a younger option.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Braves outbid the Rays for Morton’s services during the 2020-21 offseason. Four years later and coming off a down year, his asking price is bound to be lower. That could put the Rays back in the conversation, especially if he’s willing to take a significant discount to play in Florida.

As things stand, the Rays have a surplus of talent in the starting rotation. However, they don’t have any arms with Morton’s experience or durability.

Perhaps Tampa Bay trades from all that rotation depth to improve a meager offense, opening up room for a reunion with Morton.

Los Angeles Angels

Signing with the Angels might be a non-starter for Morton if he sticks to his guns about playing in the same geographic region (or at least the same time zone) as his family in Florida.

However, it’s worth remembering that Morton doesn’t have as much leverage as he once did. If wants to continue his playing career, he might have to consider offers from wherever they come.

So, why the Angels? When Morton signed with the Braves during the 2020-21 offseason, he mentioned that his relationship with Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud and Braves catching coach Sal Fasano helped convince him to sign with Atlanta.

And who left the Braves and joined the Angels this offseason? That’s right, both d’Arnaud and Fasano.

The Angels could use another starter, and they’ve already been quite active on the mid-tier veteran free agent market. Could Morton be their next target?

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox were rumored to be interested in Morton before he signed with the Braves four years ago. Four years is a long time in baseball; the Red Sox have a very different roster and a brand-new chief baseball officer.

Still, that old rumor could be an indication that Morton would be willing to move to Boston. It’s not very close to his offseason home in Florida, but at least it’s still on the East Coast.

The Red Sox will need another proven starter to replace Nick Pivetta. They’re probably hoping to sign an ace like Blake Snell or Max Fried, but Morton could be their consolation prize if they strike out on all the front-line arms.

Baltimore Orioles

*Looks at a map* Hey, Baltimore is another East Coast city, and it’s closer to Florida than Boston!

Like the Red Sox, the Orioles are rumored to be in the market for an ace this winter (Corbin Burnes left big shoes to fill), but if they fail to sign any of their top targets, they could turn to someone like Morton.

In fact, the Orioles might still have room for Morton even if they sign a top-tier free agent starter – especially if he’s willing to take a meaningful discount to sign with the clearest contender on this list.