Luis Cruz

Cruz spent the entire season with Triple-A Nashville before a late September callup to the majors. He played well enough at Nashville that the Brewers may consider him for a utility infield role at some point, but Cruz doesn't project as an everyday big league player. With the Brewers' loss of Alcides Escobar in the Zack Greinke deal, Cruz's chances of earning some playing time improved since Yuniesky Betancourt is on course to be the team's starting shortstop.

Cruz looks like the proverbial backup middle infielder that sees occasional time in the big leagues because of his glove. In 2009, Cruz spent the majority of the year at Triple-A, where he hit .253/.274/.358 in 229 at-bats. He saw 70 at-bats with the Bucs, managing just one extra-base hit and a .214 batting average in that limited sample size. Cruz could fall into some at-bats in 2010 if injuries deplete the depth ahead of him, but he's on track to compete for a utility spot with Milwaukee after the Brewers claimed him off waivers in December.

The Pirates hailed Cruz's September arrival, calling him a "super utilityman" capable of playing second base or shortstop. The results? A .224/.278/.269 line in Pittsburgh with three extra-base hits and three RBI in 67 at-bats. Regardless, the organization is looking for depth at shortstop for the post-Jack Wilson era. Cruz and Brian Bixler will battle each other for a spot on the roster. Cruz batted .279 with 10 homers and 61 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A, making it possible that he could become an adequate bat in the big leagues. Because of his uncertain status heading into the season and his lack of major-league success in September, he has little upside.

Cruz is a 22-year-old rising star within the Padres organization and was named their Double-A Player of the Year in 2006. He's a very good defensive player and has some offensive power, but his .301 OBP in 2006 was weak. He probably won't see much major league playing time until 2008 at the earliest.