The past few days, we’ve been hearing rumors that the Orioles are interested in signing 3rd baseman Garrett Atkins. My first thought when I heard about signing him was ‘no way’, and I feel even stronger about it now. Yes, we do need somebody to replace Mora at the hot-corner, but Atkins is not the answer.
Garrett Atkins has only had 4 proven seasons in the majors. Not that he’s necessarily a bad player; he just has a lot of downside. He finished up this past season with a .226 BA, which is not the production we need from a power position, and for a team that lacks in power.
Defensively, Atkins is no star either. He is consistently a below average an at best an average fielder. He has a decent arm and accuracy, but lacks agility. For a position that is defensively based off reaction, he doesn’t have the speed to be a good defender at 3rd. The shortstop will always have to play a few feet in his direction to get the balls he won’t reach. Overall, I don’t see him being much of an upgrade over Mora.
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