Drafted by the
Colorado Rockies in the second round of the
1998 Major League Baseball draft, he was traded to the
Cleveland Indians with
Josh Bard, for
Jacob Cruz on June 2, . Gerut finished fourth in American League
Rookie of the Year voting and winning the
Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award. In , Gerut's season ended when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Gerut was acquired by the
Chicago Cubs from the Indians on July 18, , in exchange for
Jason Dubois. On July 31, Gerut was acquired by the
Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for fellow outfielder
Matt Lawton. He played briefly for the Pirates in 2005, but did not play for them at all in 2006; on March 8, , the Pirates released him. Gerut did not play during that year. On January 21, , Gerut signed a minor league contract with an invitation to
spring training with the
San Diego Padres. Gerut played very well in a starting role for the Padres during the 2008 season. He finished the year with a line of .296 batting average, .351 OBP, and .494 slugging percentage, to go with 14 HR and 48 RBI, while playing mostly in center field. On April 13, 2009, he recorded the first hit and home run in
Citi Field history, leading off the game against the host
New York Mets, on the third pitch he saw from Mets starting pitcher
Mike Pelfrey. Gerut became the first player in major league history to open a new ballpark with a leadoff homer. On May 21, Gerut was traded to the
Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder
Tony Gwynn Jr. On May 8, 2010, Gerut
hit for the cycle, going 4 for 6 in the Brewers' 17–3 victory over the
Arizona Diamondbacks. On August 13, Gerut was unconditionally released by the Brewers. On August 19, Gerut was signed to a minor league contract by the
San Diego Padres. In 2010, he was chosen as the 12th-smartest athlete in sports by the
Sporting News. On January 20, 2011, Gerut was signed to a minor league contract by the
Seattle Mariners. On February 27, Gerut announced his retirement. He said that his heart was no longer in the game, explaining that he "didn't want to be a player that plays for only his paycheck." ==Post-playing career==