Jody Gerut

Gerut, who signed a minor league deal with the Padres last January, followed a strong stint in the Venezuelan Winter League with an even stronger spring, resulting in a spot in the Padres' Opening Day lineup. He was soon demoted but was called up for good in early May and the former heralded young player had a productive season before it was cut short with a strained finger in late August. However, the aforementioned production was buoyed by a BABIP higher than usual for his low line drive rate, as well as a career-high HR/FB rate that is not likely to be repeated, so do not expect Gerut to top his surprise success from 2008.

Gerut and the Pirates have apparently kissed and made up after the oft-injured outfielder went ahead and had the knee surgery last summer that Pittsburgh said was unnecessary last spring. If Gerut can hit the way he did as a rookie for the Indians in 2003, then the Bucs will be happy. Gerut batted .279 with 22 homers and 75 RBI for the Tribe as a rookie but since then has mostly been hurt. In two years with Pittsburgh, Gerut has four hits in 18 at-bats. If healthy, he'll compete for a corner outfield job this spring and could thrive at PNC Park since it's tailor-made for lefty pull hitters.

Gerut figures into the Pirates outfield mix in 2006, but to what extent is anyone's guess. There's no guarantee that the oft-injured Gerut will remain healthy, but if he does then he'll likely split time in right field serving as the left-handed-hitting portion of a platoon. After an impressive 2003 rookie campaign in which he hit 22 homers and 75 RBI, he's torn a rotator cuff and an ACL in his right knee the last two seasons.

Gerut got off to a good start in 2004 before hitting the skids in the middle of the year. He was on his way back when he tore the ACL in his right knee in September. A previously unheralded outfielder who blossomed in 2003, Gerut is a decent all-around player whose tools and performance are average, or a bit above, across the board. He will need until the All-Star break in 2005 to return to full strength. The Indians have a lot of talent in the outfield, so Gerut won't be handed his job back.

Gerut asked manager Eric Wedge how he could hit for more power at the beginning of the 2003 season. Whatever Wedge said worked, as Gerut hit for more power in three-quarters of a season with the Tribe than he did anywhere in the minors. Gerut's big season transformed him into one of the Indians' lesser-touted outfield prospects to being a guaranteed starter in 2004. One concern - looking at his stats, it appears that Gerut traded in some of his plate discipline in order to hit for more power. Look for opponents to pitch out of the zone more often, until Gerut starts taking more walks.