Charlie Morton extended!

[UNCBlue012]

One-year, $20M deal.

https://twitter.com/braves/status/1434930829130674176?s=21

[ixiXSolidXixi]

With a club option!! Is a little over price for his age.

[UNCBlue012]

With a club option!! Is a little over price for his age.

it’s a fantastic deal if he’s even close to the same pitcher he is this year.

[Russ2dollas]

it’s a fantastic deal if he’s even close to the same pitcher he is this year.

Amen.

If he's 75% of this year this is a good deal and you probably pick up the option.

I LOVE club options. Club options without buyouts are even better.


Ideally you want to set yourself up so that old a$$ morton is your 3rd best pitcher for a WS team. I think it's reasonable to say one of Fried/Anderson can likely be number 2. I still think they need to look to trades and FA for another frontline guy.

[Russ2dollas]

Clearly there is some risk in guaranteeing the money now, especially at his age. Still lots of time to get hurt.

But I like the risk. Lock him up and not risk him leaving or retiring. Also, if all goes well you have now checked the box for SP (at least 1 of 2/3) and starting catcher before the offseason. Now you can focus on other areas. You also have your cost certainty for two more spots on the roster for salary planning.

[Southcack77]

Clearly there is some risk in guaranteeing the money now, especially at his age. Still lots of time to get hurt.

But I like the risk. Lock him up and not risk him leaving or retiring. Also, if all goes well you have now checked the box for SP (at least 1 of 2/3) and starting catcher before the offseason. Now you can focus on other areas. You also have your cost certainty for two more spots on the roster for salary planning.

I think this a little high and I think they probably could have gotten the same deal in January.

So they took on the risk he's injured this season perhaps unnecessarily in my mind.

But a 1 year commitment to Morton is fine. Particularly if they don't do a Smyly overpay as well.

[Heyward]

20M is a little too much but given we dont know if Soroka will even pitch next year, need some stability in the rotation. Just hope we dont make a Smyly type signing for 10+ mil too. Other than Freddie, thats probably 2/3 of the biggest offseason questions crossed away. Outfield situation will be interesting what AA does with basically everyone a free agent.

[msstate7]

Anyone know how to change the font size on mobile view? I did something, and now I have to zoom in to read and type

[Hudson2]

Love this. Morton has been lights out and with all the Soroka questions we needed this. AA checking off boxes so he can see if something falls into his lap in the offseason. Now lock up FF.

[NYCBrave]

I think there are also a few positives about this under the surface. Since he had been content on retiring, he clearly likes it here and wants to stay, which speak volumes about the clubhouse environment. Additionally, you can't overlook any veteran mentorship he can provide many of our younger pitchers.

[50PoundHead]

A little pricey, but the guy has been money.

[CyYoung31]

With this and the Franco deals, the Braves clearly are flush with cash.

[Russ2dollas]

20M is a little too much but given we dont know if Soroka will even pitch next year, need some stability in the rotation. Just hope we dont make a Smyly type signing for 10+ mil too. Other than Freddie, thats probably 2/3 of the biggest offseason questions crossed away. Outfield situation will be interesting what AA does with basically everyone a free agent.

Why too high? He's a 3.5-4 WAR pitcher this year.

The cost per WAR is about 9 million now, right? You are paying him like he's a 2-2.5 win pitcher. That is very likely.

Someone else said you can get this done in January....that is probably right. But if he gets to FA you never know if another team will steal him. Or if he starts thinking about retirement and he just retires.

Not to mention the owners probably work to make the CBA cost some regular season games so you are going to pay a prorated 120 games or so.

I think we need another pitcher. Would AA go after Stroman with his history from Toronto? Doubt AA wants to give up a multiyear deal to a pitcher and doubt Cohen lets the braves outbid him. Would AA throw a big annual value deal at Rodon and see if he can replicate this year? AA LOVEs being wrong on left handed pitchers.

Obviously we need 3 OFs, 1B, couple RPs and a bench. So still some things to do.

[clvclv]

I think this a little high and I think they probably could have gotten the same deal in January.

So they took on the risk he's injured this season perhaps unnecessarily in my mind.

But a 1 year commitment to Morton is fine. Particularly if they don't do a Smyly overpay as well.

I think that's questionable. One of the reasons he signed with Atlanta (when there are rumblings that Tampa was willing to go to $15 million for this season) is that the Rays bungled negotiations by letting him explore the market - and apparently that *issed him off a bit. If he was willing to commit NOW to another one-year deal, not jumping on that opportunity would have been a huge blunder by AA. Don't take the chance he's sitting at home with his wife during Thanksgiving dinner and his wife says "I can't believe they didn't give you a contract before now - why don't you just stay home? It's not like we NEED the money, and you don't want to go somewhere else to play". Don't give him time to change his mind or think about things.

What I think has become really interesting is the Duvall in CF experiment. If he's "playable" out there, you exercise the team side of his option (hoping he wants to stay) and maybe even tack on one more year. You can then pass on Pederson's option and flank Pache with plus defenders on the corners in Acuna, Duvall, and Rosario (if he'll take Pederson's money) while rotating the three of them at DH. You'd have three guys capable of being the backup CF, Acuna could be your everyday DH early on if you're worried about his health, and Waters could spend more time in Gwinnett. Bring Adrianza back to pair with Arcia as super-utility guys, and you'd have tons of flexibility.

[Russ2dollas]

I think that's questionable. One of the reasons he signed with Atlanta (when there are rumblings that Tampa was willing to go to $15 million for this season) is that the Rays bungled negotiations by letting him explore the market - and apparently that *issed him off a bit. If he was willing to commit NOW to another one-year deal, not jumping on that opportunity would have been a huge blunder by AA. Don't take the chance he's sitting at home with his wife during Thanksgiving dinner and his wife says "I can't believe they didn't give you a contract before now - why don't you just stay home? It's not like we NEED the money, and you don't want to go somewhere else to play". Don't give him time to change his mind or think about things.

What I think has become really interesting is the Duvall in CF experiment. If he's "playable" out there, you exercise the team side of his option (hoping he wants to stay) and maybe even tack on one more year. You can then pass on Pederson's option and flank Pache with plus defenders on the corners in Acuna, Duvall, and Rosario (if he'll take Pederson's money) while rotating the three of them at DH. You'd have three guys capable of being the backup CF, Acuna could be your everyday DH early on if you're worried about his health, and Waters could spend more time in Gwinnett. Bring Adrianza back to pair with Arcia as super-utility guys, and you'd have tons of flexibility.

I think you have to offer Duvall and Joc the option. I doubt both take it. Since Snit won't play Joc everyday, I'm not sure he wants to stay. We need OF and I feel like both guys are basically guaranteed to out perform those deals. The opportunity cost is that you are tying up money in OK players and not getting impact bats. I know Duvall is going to be a 3 WAR guy this year, but I'm not calling him impact.

The question is, who are they going to get? Is Blackmon going to opt out, be an impact guy and sign with the braves? I think no to all 3. If you had Joc and Duvall, would that stop you from getting Marte? I don't think it's enough money to stop us or years. Just unlikely we are the high bidder on Marte. Castellanos will want more than we'll pay. Conforto may be an option, but his production causes some concern.

[clvclv]

I think you have to offer Duvall and Joc the option. I doubt both take it. Since Snit won't play Joc everyday, I'm not sure he wants to stay. We need OF and I feel like both guys are basically guaranteed to out perform those deals. The opportunity cost is that you are tying up money in OK players and not getting impact bats. I know Duvall is going to be a 3 WAR guy this year, but I'm not calling him impact.

The question is, who are they going to get? Is Blackmon going to opt out, be an impact guy and sign with the braves? I think no to all 3. If you had Joc and Duvall, would that stop you from getting Marte? I don't think it's enough money to stop us or years. Just unlikely we are the high bidder on Marte. Castellanos will want more than we'll pay. Conforto may be an option, but his production causes some concern.

Read closer - you re-sign the better player (Rosario) with Pederson's money. He, Duvall, and Acuna play every day on the corners or DH, and you get Pache or Heredia's defense in CF everyday - the Braves still control Heredia through 2023 if Pache still needs more time in Gwinnett, and Duvall can be the emergency CF if they don't want Acuna logging innings there. The addition of the DH allows you to play either Pache or Heredia in CF without losing any offense, and the fact that Duvall and Rosario can play either corner allows you to give all the OFs a "day off" every week without actually taking their bats out of the lineup.

[PawPawMaxwell]

What are you doing with Soler?

[PawPawMaxwell]

Assuming Duvall finishes the season with new highs in HRs and RBI, an acceptable OPS and BA doesnt fall thru the floor, does anyone expect him to exercise his side of he option?

[clvclv]

What are you doing with Soler?

You're not "doing" anything with Soler. He's a DH masquerading as a RF right now and you have Acuna returning there.

Soler's stretch with the Braves all but guarantees he's going to be offered more money than Pederson, Duvall, or Rosario this winter, and it's pretty obvious Duvall wants to stay here if the Braves pick up their side of the option. You guys seem to think they're going to sign a full-time DH if it returns to the NL next season because they signed Ozuna last winter. Doing so not only hurts your flexibility, it makes you much weaker defensively. Ozuna was signed because they thought they HAD TO go get someone to hit behind Freeman. Riley has become that guy.

If AA's able to somehow get out from under Ozuna's money, he won't make the mistake of giving it to someone who needs to be a full-time DH again - he'll sign people who can help on defense as well.

[ixiXSolidXixi]

What are you doing with Soler?

Soler is free agent and probably looking for a long turn contract. Probably we need to wait until the DH for both league result. Plus how Acuña is feeling.