{image1} For the last couple of seasons, Jeff Cirillo's career has been one nightmare after another. It is fitting, then, that the Milwaukee Brewers decided to take a flyer on their former star infielder; they're trying to wake up from a series of bad dreams themselves.

While the Brewers have basically been lousy ever since (and just OK for several years before) trading Cirillo to Colorado before the 2000 season, at least he had a few good times during the interim. Jamey Wright, Jimmy Haynes and Henry Blanco -- the list of players netted in the deal -- never experienced much success in Milwaukee, and they've long since been relegated to the dust bin of Brewers history.

Perhaps, however, Cirillo and the Brewers will be rejuvenated together. At any rate, that possibility was worth a shot to general manager Doug Melvin.

Melvin signed Cirillo to a minor-league deal last week only after receiving several calls from Cirillo himself. Skilled in reclamation projects, Melvin may stage his biggest coup if Cirillo provides any return on a minimal investment.

After leaving Milwaukee, Cirillo had two solid seasons in Colorado. In 2000, he flourished in the hitter's paradise of Coors Field, batting .326 (tying his 1999 career high) with 11 home runs, 115 RBIs and 53 doubles. Those numbers dipped in 2001 to .313, 15, 83 and 26 respectively, but there was no reason to think Cirillo was having his last serviceable season as a big-league hitter.

He was. Dealt to Seattle the following off-season and expected to help a team on the precipice of dethroning the Yankees in the American League, Cirillo had his worst year ever. He hit .249 and compiled just a .301 on-base percentage. Ex-Seattle manager Lou Piniella dropped him to No. 9 in the batting order, a rude awakening for a career .300 hitter.

Notoriously hard on himself even during good times, Cirillo started to press badly. Feeling the pressure of unmet expectations on a contending team, he lost his everyday job in 2003, playing in just 87 games. His other numbers were even worse -- he hit just .205 with two homers in 289 at bats. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark awarded Cirillo his "Least Valuable Player" honors in the American League for 2003. Ouch.

To make things worse, Cirillo was failing miserably in front of his wife's family in the Seattle area, one of the original attractions of joining the Mariners. So, after 2003, Seattle had seen enough, and the Mariners attempted to deal him to the Mets for outfielder Roger Cedeno. But Cirillo wouldn't waive his no-trade clause.

"I'd rather sit on the bench in Seattle where my kids are," Cirillo said at the time, "than sit in New York without my family around me."

But at a salary of over $6 million a year, the Mariners didn't agree. They finally found a taker in San Diego, a team closer to Cirillo's native Pasadena.

"We kind of look at him as a super utility guy, who can protect (Sean) Burroughs when we face someone like Randy Johnson," said Padres GM Kevin Towers when the deal was made. "I think this is a great gamble."

He was half right. Cirillo struggled with injuries, playing in just 33 games and hitting .213. Having gambled and lost, the Padres cut Cirillo loose. His career appeared to be over.

But the 35-year-old thought he could still play, so he went to Mexico to work on his stroke this winter. Against lesser competition, Cirillo regained his hitting stroke (.312) and reached base at a more customary clip (.453 OBP) in 26 games of work. He also started pestering Melvin for a job, and the GM figured a minor-league contract was worth a shot. The Brewers will pay Cirillo $300,000 if he makes the team.

With Wes Helms and Russell Branyan slated to battle for the starting job at third base, Cirillo certainly has a chance to survive spring training. Helms regressed defensively last year, and the slugging Branyan is not a third baseman by trade. Cirillo, always possessed by a good glove and a strong arm, could be a valuable utility man and contact hitter off the bench.

It would be nice if he could stake a claim. During the latter half of the 1990s, Cirillo was often the lone bright spot for the Brewers. From 1996-1999, he played in at least 154 games each year and never hit below .288. He drove in 83, 82, 68 and 88 runs while hitting .321 or better three times during that stretch. And he had some pop, twice collecting 46 doubles in the former confines of County Stadium, not exactly a hitter's haven compared to the latter-day bandboxes that dominate the game less than a decade later.

Cirillo is also a classic Ned Yost/Melvin-type guy. Melvin admitted he was impressed with Cirillo's willingness to go to Mexico this winter, and the veteran also said he'd accept a AAA assignment if need be. Yost loves grinders -- why else is Helms still here? -- and will certainly look for a reason to keep a hard-working veteran on the roster.

There are no guarantees, of course. And the Cirillo returning to Milwaukee is an older, struggling version of the one who left five years ago. But it's nice to see him back, just the same.