Ruben

Rivera

Rivera will attempt to make the Giants as a fifth outfielder.

Simply a need-based move, as Ottawa’s outfield is short due to callups and injuries. Rivera was hitting just .195 at Bowie and won’t make it to the majors with the O’s this year.

Rivera is most famous for stealing Derek Jeter’s glove and bat and selling them to a memorabilia dealer during spring training a couple of years ago. ''It is something I will probably do,’' general manager Brian Cashman said. At this point the Yankees would probably sign David Berkowitz if they thought he could play a decent center field.

Rivera, who was out of baseball last season, is batting .338/.442/.600 in 36 games in Mexico. He’ll probably head to spring training with some team in February.

Rivera, who briefly played in the Yankees’ farm system last season, is second in the MPL in homers (seven), third in OBP (.469) and second in slugging (.694). He hasn’t played in the majors since the first half of 2003, but there’s always a chance that he could make it back.

Rivera was batting just .180 this season and was considered expendable because Pedro Feliz has learned how to play the outfield.

Rivera is 12-for-25 this spring and appears likely to make the Giants as a fifth outfielder.

The 32-year-old Rivera remains decent insurance. He’s coming off a .308/.444/.564 campaign in the Mexican Winter League, and he can still run down flies in center field. He’ll likely begin the year in Triple-A.

He was ninth in average, second to Calvin Pickering with a .444 OBP, third with a .564 slugging percentage and tied with second with 16 homers.