Charlie Morton has signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Atlanta Braves, the team announced Tuesday.
Morton is headed back to the team that drafted him in 2002 — and gets the same money that Tampa Bay turned down when it declined its club option last month.
Morton, who led the Rays to the World Series with a Game 7 victory over the Houston Astros in the ALCS, became a free agent after Tampa Bay declined a $15 million option for the 2021 season.
Morton doesn’t have any no-trade protection or incentive clauses built into his deal with the Braves, sources told ESPN’s Buster Olney.
The veteran right-hander, 37, joined the Rays in 2019 on a two-year, $30 million contract and helped them earn playoff berths each of the past two seasons. He was 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA this postseason after going 2-2 with a 4.74 ERA during the pandemic-shortened season.
In his two seasons with Tampa Bay, Morton, who has been lauded for his work with the Rays’ younger pitchers, went 18-8 with a 3.33 ERA and was third in the AL Cy Young voting in 2019.
The two-time All-Star selection won a World Series ring in 2017 with the Astros, with whom he went 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA in 55 starts over two seasons. Overall, Morton is 93-89 with a 4.08 ERA over a 13-year career with Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Houston and Tampa Bay.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
