Braves: Alex Anthopoulos deserves award for genius maneuver in Charlie Morton deal

Atlanta Braves general manger Alex Anthopoulos has brought Charlie Morton back home.

Alex Anthopoulos continues to marvel in free agency, as the Atlanta Braves land Charlie Morton.

Atlanta needed veteran presence in its promising, but young rotation. Anthopoulos was eying a few in 2021 MLB free agency. Not long after landing left-hander Drew Smyly on a one-year deal away from the San Francisco Giants, the Braves were able to add the veteran right-hander Morton away from the Tampa Bay Rays. The former Atlanta draft pick from 2002 is coming home.

A World Series contender in Atlanta just got even better by adding Morton

Morton was the key piece going the other way to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Nate McLouth deal over a decade ago. Morton spent seven years in Pittsburgh after initially debuting with the Braves in 2008. He would play for a handful of other teams since leaving Pittsburgh, winning a World Series with the 2017 Houston Astros and getting the 2020 Rays to the Fall Classic.

By giving the 37-year-old right-hander $15 million over one year, Morton expects to be a frontline rotational piece for the National League contender. Atlanta is the favorite to win its fourth straight NL East crown, possibly getting back to the World Series for the first time since 1999. Morton will give the Braves rotation innings, as well as plenty of big-game experience come October.

The reason we need to praise Anthopoulos for this deal, and the Smyly one as well, is that the Braves general manager knew what he wanted and went out and got it. Had he not whiffed on the Cole Hamels and Felix Hernandez signings last offseason, maybe Atlanta would have won its first World Series championship since 1995? With limited financial resources, the Braves won here.

Atlanta’s championship window is wide-open. The Braves need to extend reigning NL MVP first baseman Freddie Freeman, as well as try their luck to bring back “designated hitter” Marcell Ozuna on a new deal as well. Atlanta can win the World Series in 2021 and in the next few years before its young core hits free agency. This team is too talented not to win at least one title.

By adding Morton, Anthopoulos has appropriately addressed his club’s biggest issue from 2020.