Orioles Keep Spending, Sign Garrett Atkins

The Baltimore Orioles reached an agreement with corner infielder Garrett Atkins last night. Atkins presumably will get time at both infield corners while the Orioles wait for Josh Bell and Brandon Snyder, their best 3B and 1B prospects, respectively.

Atkins struggled greatly last season in Colorado and has shown consistent decline in each season since 2006, but he's been a 6 WAR player before and has some clear upside, although at this point that upside is essentially all from his bat, as he's clearly a below-average defensive player.

The terms of the deal haven't been released yet, but assuming that it's a one-year deal in the $3-5M range, this seems like a solid signing for a team that could use a stopgap veteran presence at third and first base. It'll be interesting to see how this deal affects Ty Wigginton's role on the team, as Atkins will essentially fill the role that Wiggy was expected to fill.