Orioles Ink a Couple

The reports are the Orioles signed both LHP Mike Gonzalez and 3Bman Garrett Atkins today.

Mike Gonzalez signed a two-year deal for a guaranteed $12 million with another $4 million in performance incentives.  I like this deal.

When Gonzalez is right, he’s a great pitcher.  His career line is as follows: 2.57 ERA, 280.2 IP, 213 hits and 129 walks allowed, and 330 Ks.  That’s closer material, no doubt about it.

Gonzalez had a major arm injury in 2007, but he was healthy in 2009 and had a great season for the Braves pitching his home games in a hitters’ park.  If he stays healthy the next two seasons, I have no doubt but that he will be the O’s closer and will record a lot of saves.

Garrett Atkins signed a one-year contract, and, unfortunately, the amount has not yet been reported.  Without knowing the amount, it’s hard to evaluate this deal.  Obviously, it’s good that it’s limited to one year.

If the contract calls for no more than $3.25 million, it’s a worthwhile risk for the Orioles.  Any more than that, not so much.

Atkins career has been going one way since 2006 — straight down.  He was great in ‘06, good in ‘07, OK in ‘08 and very bad in ‘09.  However, he’s still only 30 years old in 2010, and for not a lot of money, it’s not a bad risk for the Orioles to take.

The Orioles will never have enough money to compete with the Yankees or Red Sox, so they have to develop young players and get lucky on their free agent signings.  With Atkins, they at least have a chance of catching lightning in a bottle in 2010, because he did have a couple of fine seasons a few years ago, and he’s not so old that he couldn’t do it again.

That being said, the odds that Atkins will have another season like 2007 (let’s just acknowledge right now there’s no way in the world he’ll ever have another season like 2006) are not good and just not worth risking more than about $3.25 million.   Any more than that, and the Orioles are gambling money they need to pay the mortgage and feed the kids.