Former Braves Pitcher DFA'd Shortly After Reunion Bout

The former Atlanta Braves starter might have made his last start in the Majors, and it came against his former team

We may have seen the last of Charlie Morton, and it came against the Atlanta Braves | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton has been designated for assignment by the Detroit Tigers.

The move comes a couple days after his most recent start, which was against, coincidently, against his former team. The Braves put up six runs on five hits, including a home run by Ronald Acuña Jr, and two walks across 1 1/3 innings pitched. 

It was his shortest start of the season and his second-shortest outing. He pitched an inning of relief during a stint in the Orioles bullpen. 

There is a realistic and high chance that this is the last we see of Charlie Morton in the Major Leagues. He was already debating retirement at the end of last year. While he chose to stick around another year and sign a one-year, $15 million deal with the Orioles, this time, he might be ready to hang it up. 

Morton finishes a season with a 5.89 ERA in 32 games, 26 starts, reflecting the up-and-down season he had in what could be his last season. He pitched well in the middle stretch of the campaign, making him a logical deadline pickup for the Tigers' rotation. He just couldn’t keep it up. 

Regardless of how his season went away from Atlanta, the Braves missed the consistency of Morton in their starting rotation this season.

The Braves have certainly felt his absence from the rotation this season. He gave them at least 30 starts over each of the last four seasons before leaving in free agency. 

No starting pitcher this season is set to reach 30 starts. Bryce Elder is the closest with 27 starts, and there’s a bit of a gap after that with Spencer Strider and Grant Holmes clocking in 21 starts each. 

Holmes has been shut down for the year, leaving Strider as the only other starter with more than 20 starts who can tack on more. 

Morton has also surpassed 140 innings this season, which is something only Elder has done on the Braves as well. His overall performance this season will likely make their decision to let him walk feel justified, but the innings would have come in handy. 

The 41-year-old will likely head off to be with his family after this season, but his impact on the Braves has already been made. He was part of teams that won a World Series, three division titles and back-to-back 100-win seasons. 

Much of that likely doesn’t happen without the consistency he provided.