Franklin Gutierrez, Outfield

Date of Birth: 2/21/1983
Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela
Nickname: Death to Flying Things

Franklin Gutierrez, outfielder, first signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in November, 2000. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in April, 2004. He played in the minor leagues from 2001 through most of 2006, joining the Indians for 7 games in 2005 and 43 games in 2006.

In 2007, Gutierrez played in 100 games with the Indians. That season, he batted .266 with 72 hits, 13 doubles, and 13 home runs. The following season, he had a career high 26 doubles in 134 games.

The Indians traded Gutierrez to the Seattle Mariners in December, 2008. He had his best offensive season in 2009, batting a career high .283. He also had career highs in games played (153), hits (160), home runs (18), and RBIs (70).

Gutierrez is an excellent center fielder and he had no errors in six out of nine seasons (2005-2013) in the major leagues. He won a Gold Glove in 2010.

Gutierrez's offensive skills diminished after the 2010 season and so did his playing time. In 2011, when he batted just .224, he played in 92 games. The following two seasons he was plagued by injuries and his playing time diminished to 40 games in 2012 and 41 games in 2013. He didn't play at all in 2014 due to health issues.

Gutierrez hit a pinch-hit grand slam on July 21, 2015. He finished the season with 50 hits, 15 home runs, 35 RBIs, and a .292 batting average in 59 games. Defensively, he played 42 games in left field and he made 66 putouts and 1 error.

In 2016, Gutierrez batted .246 in 98 games. He had 61 hits and 39 RBIs. Defensively, as a right fielder in 64 games, he made 95 putouts and no errors.

Gutierrez became a free agent on November 3, 2016. He signed a one-year, $2.6 million contract to return to his first team, the Dodgers, on February 20, 2017. He spent most of the 2017 season on the DL, playing in just 35 games with the Dodgers. He didn't play in the postseason.

Gutierrez elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He played in the Venezuelan Winter League in 2018. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2018.

Career batting statistics for Gutierrez through 2017 include:

• 954 games played
• 778 hits
• 150 doubles
• 97 home runs
• 78 stolen bases
• 361 RBIs
• 736 strikeouts to 228 walks
• .257 batting average

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Franklin Gutierrez
ESPN - Franklin Gutierrez