For the first two months of the season, it seemed like the Braves made the right call by letting Charlie Morton walk in free agency and sign with the Orioles. Morton was off to a rough start, struggling on the mound, while Atlanta’s rotation — despite the team’s broader issues — was mostly holding its own. But as the season has unfolded, the picture has changed.
Morton has found his form and is pitching at a high level, while the Braves’ starting staff has hit a wall. In hindsight, it’s becoming clear that letting Morton go, especially when he was interested in returning, was a misstep. He drove that point home Friday night with a strong performance against his former team. While quieting the Braves’ bats isn’t the toughest task right now, Morton still looked sharp, giving up just two runs over 5.1 innings and recording a season-high in swing-and-misses.
Now more than ever, the Braves could use a veteran presence like Morton. Since returning to Baltimore’s rotation in late May, the right-hander has posted a sub-3.00 ERA and was pitching effectively out of the bullpen before that. Over his last 10 outings, he’s been consistently reliable — a stability that Atlanta’s rotation is sorely lacking.
Outside of Spencer Strider’s recent surge and a few decent starts from Grant Holmes, the Braves haven’t had much to lean on. Bryce Elder has been wildly inconsistent, and Didier Fuentes looks unprepared for major league action. With recent injuries to Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach — plus long-term issues for AJ Smith-Shawver and Reynaldo López — the rotation is now in disarray.
The struggles of the starting staff have become impossible to ignore. In fact, the last time a Braves starter left a game in line for a win was Schwellenbach’s gem on June 28 — and now he’s sidelined until at least September. Before that, it was Strider on June 24, and the Braves didn’t even score until after he was pulled. The offense has clearly taken a step back, but the pitching woes have been just as concerning.
Holmes and Strider have done what they can, but the lack of depth and health is catching up to Atlanta. Elder’s inconsistency and Fuentes’ inexperience are glaring, and with Sale, Schwellenbach, Smith-Shawver, and López all hurt, the Braves are scrambling to piece together a rotation. The team’s early-season confidence in its pitching staff has faded quickly, and Morton’s resurgence only highlights what they’re missing.
In a season full of unexpected setbacks, one of the most painful might be watching a trusted veteran like Morton thrive elsewhere. He’s giving Baltimore a fighting chance every fifth day — something the Braves desperately need right now. Letting him go might have seemed like a reasonable gamble at the time, but it’s starting to look like a costly mistake.
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