The Atlanta Braves had one last surprise reunion left in the tank for the 2025 season, with Charlie Morton joining the team for the final week of the season, according to The Athletic's David O'Brien. The signing was reported on Monday afternoon, coming just days after he was designated for assignment by the Detroit Tigers.
Morton's career has been winding down in the last few seasons, and if the 2025 season is his last, retiring as a Brave makes a lot of sense. Whether it is simply to make one last start in an Atlanta uniform or a few relief appearances, it's the type of positive news Braves fans needed amid a lost season. With this in mind, fans shouldn't view this as a reclamation project, but a likely exit.
Former Braves Star Pitcher Charlie Morton Returns for One Last Ride
There is a very slight possibility that Morton is being brought in to start a tryout attempt for next season. However, this makes very little sense when you consider there is only a week left and not enough time for the Braves to put together a sample size to determine whether or not Morton might have one last season left in the tank.
The signing may have been made with the expectation that Morton is ready to walk away from baseball after rejoining a team that's near and dear to him. After debuting with the Braves way back in the 2008 season, Morton was brought back and pitched for four years in the Atlanta rotation, which included winning the 2021 World Series.
With the way the Braves' pitching has looked this season, there's little doubt that Morton would've been a much-needed addition to this year's staff. His 9-11 record and 5.89 ERA during his time with the Tigers and Baltimore Orioles isn't much to write home about; however, spending the season in Atlanta could've been enough to motivate him to perform better.
With that in mind, Morton's performance simply wasn't up to the standard expected from a playoff team. Meanwhile, the Braves are in a position where they can afford to take on a feel-good story, leaving time to tell if the team has anything special planned for Morton this week.