Pittsburgh Pirates Release Veteran Garrett Atkins

The Pittsburgh Pirates have officially cut ties with veteran third baseman Garrett Atkins. Atkins was a non-roster invitee of the Pirates, and was competing with both Josh Fields and Andy Marte for a bench spot with the Bucs’ MLB team. The 31-year-old was set to make $800,000 if he made the team. A poor Spring Training doomed the seven-year MLB vet. Atkins hit just .129 this spring, an astoundingly low number for a player who has hit better than .285 four times in his major league career. In 31 spring at bats, Atkins had just one single, two doubles, and a home run, but struck out eleven times. The Colorado Rockies’ fifth-round pick in 2000 played six seasons with the Rockies, then spent last year with the Baltimore Orioles. His batting average has taken a huge hit over the past few seasons, as Atkins hit just .226 in 2009 and .214 in 2010. photo: http://flic.kr/p/9oA2wr