Charlie Morton officially signed with the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, inking a one-year, $15 million contract to join the AL East’s upstart contender.
That leaves the Atlanta Braves in a precarious position. Morton was not up to his usual standards last season, but he still made 30 starts and pitched 165.1 innings for a Braves team ravaged by injuries. With Spencer Strider recovering from Tommy John surgery and the farm system in shambles, Morton offered an all-too-rare source of stability.
The Braves hope to get Strider back in the mix sooner than later this season, but Max Fried has departed for New York. The Braves are down two everyday starters and Strider won’t be up to speed in time for Opening Day. That puts incredible stress on Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and second-year fireballer Spencer Schwellenbach — and it drives home just how important Morton’s presence was, even as he declined with age.
There are several options available to Alex Anthopoulos and the front office. The Braves aren’t cooked. Whether it’s a bold trade for Dylan Cease or Luis Castillo, or even a different free agent splash, the Braves can find a way to offset their losses on the pitching front. At least a little bit.
One could argue that Morton’s logical successor is another longtime MLB vet on his last legs.
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Max Scherzer, who spent the last 1.5 seasons with the Texas Rangers, is somebody the Braves are intimately familiar with. Before his tenure in Arlington, he spent time with the Mets. Before that, he was a longtime Washington National. Scherzer, 40, has been around the block a few times. He has faced the Braves on countless occasions. And now, he could be the key to salvaging Atlanta’s rotation.
His days as No. 1 ace are in the past, but Scherzer was an All-Star just a few short years ago in 2021. He earned a two-year, $86.6 million contract in New York because the Mets believed he was still made of special stuff. That investment did not pan out, but Scherzer was integral to Texas’ World Series run in 2023. This past season, however, injuries took their toll, as the right-hander was limited to nine starts and 43.1 innings. He still finished with a respectable 3.95 ERA.
It’s fair to wonder how durable Scherzer is at this point in his career — a clear distinction when considering Morton’s workhorse persona — but there is no doubting the talent. He’s a better pitcher than Morton when healthy, and he would elevate Atlanta’s ceiling a fair amount. Scherzer doesn’t pack the same velocity he once did, but he’s still posting a chase percentage (36.4) near the very top of the league. He keeps hitters guessing with a robust five-pitch arsenal and misses plenty of bats.
Odds are Scherzer would ink a one-year contract, which allows Atlanta to extract what value it can in 2025 before, ideally, lining up a more sustainable replacement down the road. If the Braves aren’t keen on breaking the bank this winter, few short-term gambles feel more worthwhile than Scherzer.
