Rays ace Charlie Morton enjoyed the finest season of his career in 2019, tossing 194 2/3 innings of 3.05 ERA ball with career-bests in K/9 (11.1) and BB/9 (2.6). No qualified starting pitcher in all of Major League Baseball surrendered home runs at a lower rate than Morton’s 0.69 HR/9 clip.
Morton is set to earn $15MM in 2020 — the second season of a two-year, $30MM deal with the Rays — and the Tampa Bay organization holds an option for a third season as well. However, Morton tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that he isn’t certain he’ll continue pitching beyond the upcoming season, which will be his 13th in the Majors.
“If I throw really well and I feel really good, it’s going to be a tough decision,” the two-time All-Star said. Struggling through a poor season or enduring notable injuries, it seems, would hasten the 36-year-old’s desire to walk away from the game and spend more time with his family.
This isn’t the first time that Morton has questioned his future in the game. When he initially signed a two-year, $14MM deal with the Astros that spanned the 2017-18 seasons, Morton openly wondered how long he’d continue after the completion of that deal. Looking back and candidly expressing his pessimistic nature to Topkin, Morton hints that he never expected to find the increasing levels of success he’s enjoyed in recent years, though.
The 2019 season saw Morton finish third in American League Cy Young voting and make the All-Star team for a second consecutive season … after going without an All-Star nod for the first 11 years of his career. He ranked sixth among starting pitchers in terms of fWAR (6.1), fourth in FIP (2.81), eighth in strikeout percentage (30.4%) and 10th in K-BB% (23.2%). Morton was very arguably worth the entire $30MM sum of his contract (and then some) in year one alone.
Morton’s 2021 option will be valued at $15MM so long as he spends fewer than 30 days on the injured list in 2020. He didn’t spend a single day on the IL in 2019. It’s difficult to imagine a scenario that sees Morton walk away from that type of salary on the heels of another excellent season, but it’ll surely be a family decision. Morton makes his home in nearby Bradenton and cited proximity to his family as a notable factor in opting to sign with Tampa Bay in the first place.
I hope the homie wants to pitch cuz havin him for a third year would be great
Pls do! Morton is a premier starter in the league, and since he spent most of his time being average in Pittsburgh, I need more great Charlie Morton years while I still can!
He is pitching the best games of his career, near home and on a playoff caliber team. Tough call to walk away when you know you are among the best in the world at what you do.
Here’s hoping he stays healthy and successful for another 3 years or so.
He is pitching the best games of his career, near home and on a playoff caliber team. Tough call to walk away when you know you are among the best in the world at what you do.
I am hoping he stays healthy and successful for another 3 years or so pitching for the Rays.
Oops – tech malfunction..orig and edit both sent.
He’s Chris Jericho? Sorry, couldn’t resist that one…
You just made the list!
Astros 2017 2018. That would dampened my enthusiasm to continue as well
or maybe he’s willing fo get over these things and stop living in the past like most of the commenters here
He just wants Tampa to guarantee 2021 and add an extra year.
If he pitches as well in 2020 he can force the Rays to pay him more “or else!”
But from what he has said the last few years, it seems he really is looking forward to spending more time with his family. He’s earned over 50 million dollars in his career. Maybe after taxes, fees, living expenses, etc. he has 12 million left and it’s enough for him. Maybe he’s not about more, more. more!
Maybe he values what really matters. I could make 12 million last a lifetime. Apparently, he could too…..
What exactly has made him so successful this late in his career?
Probably a combination of a lot of things. Increased velocity over his earlier years – his average velocity the last 3 years is around 96mph, a few ticks above his earlier averages. Much more settled pitch mix, no longer flirting with as many pitch combinations, and increased curveball usage.
He really just seems like a guy that’s figured it out, mechanically and mentally.
Being on the Rays, not being forced to pitch the teams way, having a relaxed club house, not being pressured to cheat, being close to extended family, being away from teams that have narcissistic egos but going to a team that doesn’t have the “I” mentality and he’s just good.
i kinda think it had something to do with being dumped by Pittsburgh for a nobody. he looked decent before he went down for the year after coming to Philly, so i dont know if it had as much to do with Houston as one might think.
He is perhaps the worst hitting pitcher of all time (maybe slight hyperbole?), which should keep him in the American League, but his recent success shows how journeyman pitchers sometimes figure things out. He has never been afraid to tinker and even straight-up change his delivery style to achieve success.
Lucky for him, pitchers don’t need to hit very often, even in the NL. And Tampa would pick up his option in a heartbeat if he’s even half as good as he was last year.
Raya struck gold. With the contract it’s obvious they new the talent was there but I’m sure Houston would have loved to have him at $15,000,000 last year.
When he was on in Pittsburgh, he was a fun pitcher to watch. I was at PNC Park when he was pitching a gem of a game. I believe if memory has it, he had a no-no going into the 8th inning before he gave up a bloop single to RF. I can’t remember the team or the player who broke the no-no. Morton had 13 Ks in that game and his fastball was electric that night. When he got pulled, the crowd went nuts. Well deserved curtain call that night
Biggest mistake AA made was not signing him last year.
He openly stated the only way he was gonna continue playing was with the Rays. The ballpark is less than an hour from his home and he wanted a contender
He seems to get better with age
Hope he continues to pitch. I’m sure he values his family time. Just so long as he knows he is ready to retire. Would hate to see him walk away and regret it because you can’t get those years back to pitch again. If you retire from a doctor or accountant or whatever you can always go back and do that job. Not so much as a professional athlete.
He’ll be the games most valued hired gun. If he performs this year, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see someone offer him 1/30-1/35
So, you’re saying there may be an expiration date on the Ground Chuck ?