Garrett Atkins Signs Minor-League Deal With Pirates

Filed under: Pirates, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency

The fall from near-stardom to unemployed has been steep and rather swift for Garrett Atkins, but he'll give it another shot in 2011.

The former Rockies third baseman, who spent the final two months of the 2010 season at home after being released by the Orioles, has signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates. He'll be in big-league camp for spring training and presumably get a shot to win a bench role on the Opening Day roster, perhaps as part of a first base platoon with the newly signed Lyle Overbay.

The Pirates -- and Atkins -- will be hoping the 31-year-old can at least take a few steps back toward the player he was a few years ago, and it's easy to forget now how much of an impact he made in Colorado. He got MVP votes in 2006 after posting a .329/.409/.556 line with 29 homers and 120 RBI.

It's a bit much to ask for him to return to that level, but you don't post numbers like that by accident, and it's a low-risk shot by the Pirates. Atkins reportedly will earn $800,000 if he spends the entire year in the majors.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/12/23/garrett-atkins-signs-minor-league-deal-with-pirates/

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