redsfan

CINCINNATI -- The Reds made an acquisition on Friday when they brought utility player Jerry Gil over from the Diamondbacks for Minor League reliever Abe Woody.

Gil, who turns 24 on Saturday, was added to Cincinnati's 40-man roster. He batted .256 in 128 games combined at Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Tucson this season, with 27 home runs and 89 RBIs.

The only Major League experience for Gil came during 29 games for Arizona in 2004, when he batted .174. Coincidentally, his big-league debut came against the Reds, and he singled in his first plate appearance off Brandon Claussen. He also played under Reds assistant general manager Bob Miller, who used to work in the Diamondbacks' front office.

Although he has a history of struggling offensively, Gil is considered to be a good fielder at shortstop with a strong arm. After missing most of 2005 with a knee injury, he started playing outfield in 2006 to improve his versatility. At Spring Training this year, he was one of the final cuts from camp despite hitting .385 with five homers.

Woody, a 23-year-old right-hander, was 5-5 with a 2.92 ERA in 49 appearances this season for Class A Sarasota. He was the Reds' 31st-round draft pick in 2005.

In other news, the Reds sent infielder Trevor Lawhorn to the Blue Jays as the player to be named in the Aug. 16 deal that brought lefty reliever Scott Schoeneweis to Cincinnati. The 23-year-old Lawhorn batted .224 with four homers and 28 RBIs in 91 games for the Florida State League Reds.

Also, Ronnie Ortegon was named the Reds' new Minor League hitting coordinator. Ortegon spent the last two seasons as a coach with the Rangers' Double-A affiliate in Frisco. From 2002-04, he coached in the Phillies' system.