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Charlie Morton Expected To Retire With Braves After Tigers DFA'd Him

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI | By Brad Wakai | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 12:40 PM ET

The trade deadline moves the Detroit Tigers made this year aren't aging well.

Chris Paddack has already been moved into a relief role after he was expected to fortify this rotation. Paul Sewald was finally activated off the injured list, but has struggled. Rafael Montero has been solid, but he's not a difference maker. And Charlie Morton was designated for assignment to end his short tenure with the team after his performance fell off a cliff in September. The only move that really looks good is Kyle Finnegan, but even he has missed time due to an injury after he was acquired.

When it comes to Morton, it didn't take long for him to find another home. However, it's not with a contender since he is heading back to the place where his professional career began.

Charlie Morton, who was DFA’d by the Tigers this weekend, is rejoining the #Braves, Brian Snitker just said. He’ll be here Tuesday. Snitker said he didn’t know if or when Morton would start a game this week.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) September 22, 2025

Morton was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the 2002 MLB draft out of high school. After six years in the minor league system, he eventually made his big league debut in 2008. His time with the Braves was short-lived, though, because they shipped him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the middle of next season.

He stayed with the Pirates through 2015 until they traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 2016 campaign. Morton really broke out in his career with the Houston Astros a year later, winning the World Series in 2017 and becoming an All-Star for the first time in 2018.

His 2019 season with the Tampa Bay Rays was the best of his career. He was named an All-Star again and finished third in AL Cy Young voting after he posted a 3.05 ERA and 144 ERA+ with 240 strikeouts in 194 2/3 innings pitched.

Morton then returned to Atlanta on a one-year deal prior to the 2021 season. He helped his first professional team win the World Series championship that year, and it sparked a tenure that lasted until this season when he first signed with the Baltimore Orioles before getting traded to the Tigers.

Charlie Morton Expected To Retire With Braves

Morton's deal with the Braves is reportedly a major league one, so there's a chance he could pitch during this final week of the 2025 campaign. Atlanta and the longtime veteran are still talking about a potential plan when it comes to getting him on the mound, but his return to that franchise is likely for another reason than just making an MLB outing.

That's because Mark Bowman of MLB.com said this move "creates a chance" for Morton "to retire with the Braves" if he does decide to hang up the cleats after this year.

Morton has discussed the possibility of retiring for a while, however, his sustained good play kept him on the mound for multiple seasons after he first mentioned it. But it's clear he might no longer have gas in tank to compete at the highest level.

Whether or not the 41-year-old does decide to retire will be interesting to see. But the DFA by the Tigers at least let him return to his first team so that he could pitch in one more game before he makes up his mind about his professional career.