The baseball future of right-hander Charlie Morton was very much in doubt at the end of the season. After Atlanta Braves out of the playoffs, Morton seemed to strongly suggest that he might retire.

But since then, multiple reports have indicated that the right-hander is ready to return for an 18th MLB season. Tuesday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Morton “intends” to introduce in 2025.

“He plans to pitch next season at age 41 and remains a reliable inning pitcher with strikeout ability,” Passan wrote. “He’ll get a one-year contract with a candidate.”

On October 31, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman had a similar reportwriting this Morton was “leaning toward pitching” for one more season.

Morton just spent five of his 17 MLB seasons with the Braves. But he finished his career with the Atlanta organization. He debuted for Atlanta with 15 starts as a rookie in 2008. He returned to the Braves in 2021, helping the team win the World Series for the first time in 26 years.

It seems unlikely that Morton will return for another MLB season and pitch for a new team. But Passan didn’t mention anything about the team he “intends” to pitch Morton to in 2025. It’s important to note, though, that Passan’s Tuesday column didn’t focus on landing spots, but rather on potential moving pieces in MLB free agency.

Morton left 8-10 with a 4.19 ERA, 1.325 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 165.1 innings last season. It was the first time he posted a losing record since 2014.

In his last four seasons with the Braves, Morton posted a 45-34 record with a 3.87 ERA. He also posted a 1.250 WHIP and 771 strikeouts in 686.1 innings.

With Max Fried will likely leave in free agencyand Spencer Strider is not expected to be ready for opening dayThe Braves could really use Morton to return. As Passan noted, he’s a reliable innings eater, and yet his 1-year deal won’t prevent the Braves from signing another top-of-the-rotation starter this offseason.