The Atlanta Braves could end up losing a key piece of the starting rotation this winter.
Veteran starting pitcher Charlie Morton has been with the Braves for the last four seasons but could be nearing the end of the road in Major League Baseball. He made $20 million in his 17th big league season and had a 4.19 ERA across 30 starts.
He has been everything the Braves could've hoped for, but he will be a free agent this winter. There is a chance he could end up retiring. But, if he decides to continue his career, FanSided's John Buhler predicted it won't be with Atlanta.
"At this point, I don't even think these are mutually exclusive entities," Buhler said. "Charlie Morton is done, or he thinks he needs to spend more time at home. Being away from his four young children at home clearly weighed on him last season. It undeniably affected his play. Morton had been able to pitch at a very high level into his late 30s and very early 40s. Now, he was more of a hindrance than a gamer.
"Even if the ending has been a bit bumpy, to say the least, Morton is a legend in Braves Country for literally pitching on a broken leg to help this team win a championship. Now may be the time to go be dad and enjoy retirement. For the type of money he would want to command to come back for one more year, it is not going to be worth it. I don't want to pay a 42-year-old $20 million for 5.00 ERA. If the Braves are serious about retaining (Max Fried), then they need to give him Morton's salary as well."
The two-time All-Star has been great for Atlanta, but his career could be coming to an end.
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