It seems as if multiple times since 2009, when Charlie Morton was traded along with two other players for Nate McLouth, his return to Atlanta could have made a lot of sense for both sides. While neither the Pirates nor the Braves significantly benefitted from that trade, it seems the Braves would have gained more value simply keeping Morton than trading him away. (McLouth combined for a lousy 0.1 fWAR in around 1,000 PAs as a Brave; Morton gave the Pirates an underwhelming but still much better 7.3 fWAR in around 800 innings.) Though inconsistency and injuries prevented Morton from truly breaking out for the Pirates, he certainly flashed his significant potential as a starter here and there, including a 2013 campaign where he put up 1.
Charlie Morton’s career comes full circle in return to Braves
