Charlie Morton has the ball in his court

There has already been plenty of debate over whether or not the Atlanta Braves -- following their elimination from the MLB playoffs in yet another upset to the Philadelphia Phillies -- should bring Charlie Morton back. The Braves have a $20 million option on his contract for 2024.

Those debates are premature, putting the cart before the horse, because Morton has not yet decided he'll even return to baseball in 2024. Some around the Braves have pointed out that Morton -- who turns 40 in November -- could very well call it a career, leaving his club option a moot point.

Morton gave up three earned runs in his start of the NLDS in Game 4, a game the Braves lost 8-3. Morton was dealing with significant finger blistering issues that landed him on the 15-day IL at one point in September.

If Morton doesn't return, there are plenty of quality starting pitchers hitting the market this year including Sonny Gray, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and more. The other side to that equation, though, is an intense appetite for pitchers all around MLB that Atlanta may have to compete with.

Pirates all in on Yariel Rodriguez

The Pittsburgh Pirates ranked ninth-worst in ERA and WHIP in 2023. To add to that, Pittsburgh surrendered the fourth-most doubles and walked the sixth-most batters of any MLB team. Suffice it to say if the Pirates want to be more competitive next year, pitching should be a priority.

While it doesn't appear Pittsburgh will be players for the top international pitching prospect, Yoshinobu Yamamoto out of Japan, they might find one from Cuba: Yariel Rodriguez.

Kody Duncan of FanSided's Rum Bunter reports that the Pirates have been scouting Rodriguez since 2021 and have shown an aggressive amount of interest in the Cuban pitcher.

Rodriguez has been playing in Japan the last several years, most recently for the Chunichi Dragons. In 2022 he threw a 1.15 ERA as a reliever across 56 games. Rodriguez did not play in 2023 as he pursued an MLB contract, in part because the Dragons disputed his free agency availability, claiming his contract in Japan was still valid. His absence from the 2023 season with Chunichi was a surprise to the team.

Chunichi has since formally released him, so he's now free to sign an MLB contract.

He may have plenty of suitors, but expect the Pirates to make a strong pursuit. Pittsburgh will need to maintain some aggression to be competitive in the NL Central, which could very well be one of the toughest divisions in baseball next year now that the Reds are looking ready to compete.

Cubs and Juan Soto: How real are the rumors?

According to Michael Cerami, who runs Bleacher Nation, the Cubs are interested in Juan Soto, something he has reported months ago but just recently re-emphasized. This is one of those trade rumors that's tough to validate and easy to be skeptical of, but also tough to disprove or dispel.

Cerami has clear insight and familiarity with Chicago area sports, but absent confirmation from a known, league-wide MLB insider, I have to remain a skeptic that the Cubs are truly meaningfully interested in Soto.

Cerami is, at heart, a fan who clearly wants Soto. And what Cubs fan wouldn't?

Let's look at the situation in Chicago, now, though. Cody Bellinger is a flight risk since he performed so well with the Cubs this season that he'll get plenty of dollars thrown his way in free agency. That leaves a huge gap for the outfield that Soto could help fill. Soto is a free agent in 2025, meaning the Cubs very well could trade for him without mortgaging their future.

Not many players with bats as good as Soto's come available without the ball and chain of a lengthy contract. The Cubs are certainly wishing they signed Bellinger to a longer deal

So, the Soto interest... Plausible, for sure. If he really becomes available -- which if rumors about the Yankees and Padres discussing a trade are true, it seems likely -- the Cubs would be expected to at least make some calls, right?