an additional $10,000 to $45,000 in incentive bonuses if he made 75–85 appearances, but again was not able to cash in as he made only 63 appearances. Grabow was 3–2 with the Pirates, with a 4.53 ERA. He had held batters to a .215 batting average and a .231 slugging percentage with runners in scoring position, while leading the team by only allowing 5.3% of batters he faced to get extra base hits. Grabow initially planned to have minor surgery after the 2007 season to remove bone chips in his left elbow. But after receiving a cortisone shot in August, he changed his mind. "I've been symptom-free for the past few weeks", Grabow said. "I want to see what my options are. I don't think I'll really need to have surgery. Maybe I can manage it, and pitch through it." He had his left elbow examined by Los Angeles Angels orthopedist Lewis Yocum, who suggested that rest would be an effective alternative to arthroscopic surgery. Grabow then decided against surgery, and instead followed a program of rest and rehabilitation, extending his period of rest from three to eight weeks, and concentrating his workouts more on strengthening his legs and shoulders. Grabow earned $1.135 million in 2008. He also had the potential to earn an additional $75,000 based on appearances. In 2008, he had the third-lowest ERA of all NL left-handed relievers (2.84), and stranded all but 8 of his 33 inherited runners (76%). Batters hit only .215 against him (and only .146 with runners in scoring position), and he struck out a team-best 19.3% of all batters he faced, while leading the team by only allowing 5.6% of batters he faced to get extra base hits. He also pitched in 74 games, four short of the record for left-handed pitchers, set by Scott Sauerbeck in 2002. Grabow edged Minnesota's Craig Breslow for the 2008 Barney Pelty Award for Jewish Pitcher of the Year. Grabow agreed to a one-year deal for $2.3 million, with an additional $75,000 possible in incentives, in early January. Despite Grabow being eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season, the Pirates did not engage in contract talks beyond 2008. Grabow accepted an invitation to play for Team USA in 2009 in the second World Baseball Classic. He was the first member of the Pirates to represent the US in the WBC. "It's