The Pirates released infielder Garrett Atkins, reports Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 31-year-old veteran had been competing for the team's backup corner infield job with Andy Marte, Steve Pearce, and Josh Fields after signing a minor league deal in December. All along, the expectation was that Atkins would either make the team or become a free agent.
In 17 Spring Training games this year, Atkins hit .129/.182/.290 in 33 plate appearances. His last useful season was 2008, so he'll probably have to crush Triple-A pitching to earn another shot in the Majors.
