MLB NOTEBOOK: Orioles reach deal with Gonzalez
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Third baseman Garrett Atkins and former Pirates reliever Mike Gonzalez reached preliminary agreements yesterday with the Baltimore Orioles.
Gonzalez gets a $12 million, two-year contract and Atkins receives a one-year deal with an option for 2011 that guarantees him $4.5 million.
The deals are pending physicals.
Atkins, who turned 30 Saturday, has spent his entire seven-year major league career with the Colorado Rockies. He became a free agent last week when Colorado failed to offer a 2010 contract.
Atkins slumped to a .226 average with nine homers and 48 RBIs last season after hitting .286 with 21 homers and 99 RBIs in 2008. Atkins, who made $7.05 million this year, lost the third base job to Ian Stewart by the end of the season.
Gonzalez, 31, a left-hander, figures to get an opportunity to become Baltimore's closer. He was 5-4 with a 2.42 ERA and 10 saves last season for Atlanta and has 54 saves in seven major league seasons, including a career-high 24 with the Pirates in 2006.
Gonzalez pitched in 80 games this year, third-most in the majors. Preceding his delivery with an unusual, rocking motion, Gonzalez struck out 90 and walked 33 in 741/3 innings this year.
Third baseman Alex Rodriguez is all set to start his winter workouts. He found out that his surgically repaired right hip is holding up fine.
"Great news," he said yesterday.
Rodriguez had surgery in March for torn cartilage and missed the first month of the season. At the time, Dr. Marc Philippon, who performed the operation, thought Rodriguez would need a more extensive procedure in the offseason.
But Philippon recently examined Rodriguez, and an MRI helped show the three-time MVP had properly healed.
Otherwise, Rodriguez probably would have been "having surgery today," he said at a Yankee Stadium news conference to introduce new center fielder Curtis Granderson.
Hoping it has found its setup man on the other side of the globe, New York agreed to a $3 million, two-year contract with Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi.
Igarashi, 30, a right-hander, becomes the first major addition this offseason for the Mets aftera 70-92 debacle that left them fourth in the NL East Division.
Infielders Doug Mientkiewicz and Angel Berroa, and pitcher Josh Towers were among nine players who agreed to minor league contracts with Los Angeles. Mientkiewicz, 36, dislocated his right shoulder while sliding into second base for a double April 16, went on the disabled list and wasn't activated by the Dodgers until Sept. 2. He was just 6 for 18 with three RBIs last season.
Berroa, who turns 32 next month, hit .148 with two RBIs in 27 at-bats for the Mets last season. Towers, 32,, right-hander, had no record and a 3.38 ERA in two relief appearances for the Yankees this year. He would get $700,000 in the majors and $100,000 in minors if added to the 40-man roster.
First Published December 18, 2009 12:00 am
