What to Expect From Gerut

The Mariners recently signed outfielder Jody Gerut to a minor league contract. He is also invited to Major League spring training. In a previous article I posted a bio on the outfielder and here it is:

“Jody Gerut is a left handed outfielder and is 33 years old. He is 6’0” 190lb. He previously played for Eric Wedge in Cleveland. Early in his career he was of to a decent start showing he could be an average outfielder hitting for a .270 AVG. In 2004 his season ended with a Torn ACL. He played very little in 2005 and then missed the entire 2006 and 2007 season due to the injury. He saw his career get back on track at the age of 30 with the Padres. That season (2008) he hit .296 in 356 plate appearances. After that season he served as a back up outfielder with both the Padres and the Brewers. He saw only 74 major league at bats last year with the Brewers. His career AVG is .262 and over his career he has put good contact on the ball. He is capable of playing all 3 outfield positions. He could very well compete as a back up outfielder this season”

His career has been back and forth. There have been seasons in which he posts very good numbers as a solid contributor and then there are other seasons in which he really struggles. The following WAR graph really shows this pattern.

As you can see, his career has been up and down. So what will the Mariners get out of Gerut this season? Well first of all he has to make the team. I’m not sure the details of his minor league contract but some minor league contracts for veterans allow the player to become a free agent following spring training if they do not make the team. I’m pretty confident that he does make the team especially if Bradley is not on the roster so we shouldn’t have to worry too much about Gerut not making the team.

For those of you that really believe in patterns well then things are certainly looking good for Gerut and the Mariners this year. If his career continues on this pattern of good vs. bad seasons then it appears that Gerut is due for a solid season. Another thing to consider is that his BABIP over the last 2 years has been very low. This could very possibly mean Gerut has had poor luck and he is capable of posting good numbers again. His BABIP in 2008 (one of his best seasons of his career) was .317. In 2009 it dropped to .239 and it again dropped in 2010 to .231. Those numbers in 2009 and 2010 are very low. The above stats aren’t the most reliable stats to base projections on but you can’t rule anything out. Players always surprise you and there is no reason why Gerut can’t do that this year.

Regardless of where he plays or how much he plays I think he could be a very important factor. I’ve heard talk that Gerut could compete with Saunders for the stating job in Left Field but I think the most likely situation is that he serves as an important bench player. He can play all 3 outfield positions relatively well. He makes good contact and does not strike out a lot which is always a plus to have as a pinch-hitter late in games.

We are only 21 days until pitchers and catchers report so let’s get out the baseball gear, purchase our spring training tickets, and get ready for baseball season… The best season of the year!