October 30, 2020 11:32 AM : Morton's team option was declined by the Rays on Friday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Morton's option would have paid him $15 million. While the Rays are famously hesitant to spend, and while the pandemic is expected to suppress wages this offseason, that's still seemingly quite a good price for a pitcher who has posted a 3.34 ERA over the last four years, so the decision is something of an odd one. Morton will turn 37 in November, and he did post a 4.74 ERA in nine regular-season starts in 2020, though his 3.45 FIP indicated that was likely a small-sample blip, and he bounced back with a 2.70 ERA in four playoff starts. It's conceivable that this transaction foreshadows a retirement for the veteran righty, though no such decision has been announced by the team or the player.