Tonight is the deadline for teams to tender a contract to players still under team control without a guaranteed contract for 2010.  Which means that tomorrow, many new free agents will emerge, many of them younger than the options which already were on the market.

Generally, most of these players will not be offered a contract because they had performance and/or injury problems in 2009, although a few will just be more expensive than their perceived value.  But for most of them, there are recent seasons of excellent performance, making them high risk, high upside signings for another club.

3b Garrett Atkins:Most of us know about him already.  With Pedro Feliz off the market, Atkins looks like the Orioles' #1 target to hold down third base until Josh Bell is ready. 

Pros: Plays 3b, a clear position of need.  Isn't coming off a major injury - in fact, has been quite durable throughout his career, playing in over 120 games every season.  Even with his horrible year at the plate last season, walked in over 10% of his at-bats, something he has done three of the last four seasons.  Right-handed hitter with power, something the Orioles are in need of. 

Cons: Had a terrible year with the bat in 2009, and since it wasn't due to injury, it is even more questionable.  His poor batting performance can be mitigated somewhat due to his BABIP of .247, his only season with a BABIP lower than .310.  On the other hand, has been steadily getting worse on offense since his breakout 2006 season, and was a better hitter at Coors Field than on the road.  Not a great defender either, having a negative UZR every season in the majors, although he has improved in this regard each of the last two seasons and had a UZR/150 of only -0.7 last season.  Has started 75 games at first base in his major league career, so he'd be able to move across the diamond if Bell takes over at third, but has a career UZR/150 of -6.3 - he's been worse at first than at third.

SP Chien-Ming Wang: Most of us known him pretty well too - he's beaten us a lot over the years.  The Yankees, being the Yankees, decided not to offer a contract to the two-time 19 game winner and their #2 starter going into 2009.

Pros: Has a great history of success in the AL East, is an excellent sinkerball pitcher when healthy, will want revenge on Evil Empire who paid him peanuts when he was winning games for them and dumped him as he tries to come back from a season and a half lost to injuries.

Cons: If the Yankees of all teams don't believe he was worth paying a couple million dollars, they probably have good reason to believe that he's not going to pitch effectively this year.  Might need to be paid like the #2 his win totals make him look like, and not the #3 or 4 that he is.

RP Matt Capps: The Pirates non-tendering Capps was one of the bigger surprises yesterday.  Capps did effective work as the Pirates closer in 2007 and 2008 before suffering through a lousy 2009, putting up an ERA of 5.80

Pros: Like Atkins, Capps is one of a few non-tenders who didn't suffer from a major injury in 2009.  Moreover, his peripherals aren't as bad as his 2009 performance was.  His FIP was nearly a full run below his ERA, and his xFIP was even lower.  His strikeout rate was the best of his career, and he matched his career-best groundball percentage while giving up fewer line drives in years past.  His poor 2009 was largely the product of a massive increase in his BABIP and in his HR/9.  But his high HR/9 can partially be credited to an extremely high HR/FB rate - 13.5%, over 5% more than his career average.

Cons: While the HR/FB rate is way above his career average, he's had another season with a HR/FB rate of over 12%, so it may be less a bad luck issue than it appears.  And his control disintegrated in 2009 - his BB/9 was 2.82, more than a full walk worse than his career average.  Being cut by the Pirates doesn't exactly lend itself to optimism either.

RPs Adam Miller and Jose Arredondo: This pair of hard-throwing right handed relievers are both unlikely to pitch in 2010.  Arrendondo is sure to miss the season with Tommy John surgery; the Indians' former #1 prospect Miller has had several surgeries on the middle finger of his pitching hand and may never recover.

Pros: Both are hard throwers with a history of high performance and missing bats.  Both will likely miss 2010 and could rehab with the O's with an eye towards 2011 without taking up a roster spot.

Cons: Arredondo has a very short history of success and won't pitch in 2010, meaning that someone will be paying him to rehab.  Miller may well be finished after his fourth surgery.

OF Jonny Gomes: The former Ray was non-tendered by the Reds for some reason.  I'm sure Dusty Baker is behind it.

Pros: Had a wOBA of .373 in 314 plate appearances in 2009.  Mashes lefties.  Despite poor career fielding numbers, had a 2.2 URZ/150 in 37 games in left field for the Reds.  Could free up the Orioles to trade Nolan Reimold or Luke Scott.

Cons: Nice year with the bat ought to be adjusted somewhat for the bandbox of a park in Cincy (although wOBA takes park factors into consideration).  Career strikeout rate of 32.2% is a danger sign.  Doesn't have a position on the Orioles barring a trade.

Other candidates who might be considered by the Orioles are former bird Jack Cust and Ryan Garko, but both are well known quantities.  Who among these players would you like to see the Orioles pursue this offseason?