The Braves used their option on Morton but turned down their options upon Rosario, McHugh, and Yates.
The Braves picked up Charlie Morton’s $20 million option to play in the 2024 season, which was like getting a present early for his birthday.
The well-known pitcher, who will be 40 years old on Sunday, has been an important part of Atlanta’s rotation for the past three years.
Every MLB team had up until Monday that 5 p.m. ET to decide if they would use any 2024 contract options.
When the Braves had the chance to sign left fielder Eddie Rosario ($9 million), right-handed reliever Collin McHugh ($6 million), naturally right-handed reliever Kirby Yates ($5.75 million), or left-handed reliever Brad Hand ($7 million), they turned them down. They can now sign with any team they want.
Rosario became famous in Atlanta after being named the Most Valuable Player of the National League Championship Series. He then helped the Braves win the 2021 World Series.
The left-handed hitter had trouble seeing in 2022, but he came back this year and hit.255 in 21 home runs and an OPS of.755. There was no buyout in his option.
On Monday, the Atlanta Braves picked up Charlie Morton’s $20 million option, which improved their already shaky rotation. However, they turned down Eddie Rosario’s $9 million option.
There was a lot of talk about Morton’s return, even though he gets 40 on Sunday. He went 14-12 and had a 3.64 ERA.
Once upon a time, the Braves had a 21-game winner in Kyle Wright. However, they found out last month that Wright will miss a different whole season due to a shoulder issue that kept him out for most of last year.
A lot of the starts for the Red Sox were in left field, and Rosario hit 21 home runs and drove in 74 runs while batting 255.
It was a bit for a surprise that the team was let go after hitting 307 home runs, which tied the big league record.
The fact that Vaughn Grissom had a great year at Triple-A but doesn’t seem to have a spot open in the infield could mean that the Braves are looking for a new position for the talent. The Braves also turned down offers for two straight-handed relievers.
After the Braves turned down their $5.75 million offer to bring Kirby Yates back, they will pay him $1.25 million.
Atlanta also paid $1 million to get Collin McHugh off the books. He had an option worth $6 million.
Morton will stay with the Braves to feed a fourth season. This will be his second time as a part of the rotation, working with Max Fried or Spencer Strider.
The Braves had a lot of injuries and had to use 16 different pitchers as starts because they couldn’t settle on a rotation.
Morton missed the Major League Division Series because he hurt his finger, but he was supposed to come back if the 104-prevail Braves made it to the next round.
It was the second consecutive year in a row that the Philadelphia Phillies beat them in their first series.
Rosario, who is 32 years old, was a big part of Atlanta’s run to the 2021 World Series title. He hit.560 (14 of 35) with three home runs and nine RBIs and was named MVP of the six-game win over the Dodgers of the NL Championship Series.
On Monday, the Atlanta Braves revealed that they will use right-hander Charlie Morton’s $20 million option to play the 2024 season.
Sources informed ESPN’s Jeff Passan that members of the team first talked about turning down the offer before deciding to take Morton back.
The soon-to-be 40-year-old had another good year with the Braves in 2023. In 163 1/3 innings pitched, Morton struck out 183 batters and had a record of 14-12. His earned run average was 3.64.
Over the last three years with the Braves, he’s become a reliable part of the rotation and helped the team win the World Series in 2021.
Angel Perdomo, a left-handed pitcher, was also taken off waivers by Atlanta on Monday from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Braves turned down options on those who are right- Collin McHugh as well as Kirby Yates, as well as center Eddie Rosario, the team said. All three can work for anyone.