The Milwaukee Brewers have signed six of their 15 draft and follow eligible players, a process that allows you to retain the rights to sign a player you drafted the previous year up until a week before the impending draft to determine whether or not that player is talented enough to garner a pro deal and a spot within your organization. To refresh your memory on all of the candidates, along with the process itself, please feel free to visit past articles, starting with the most recent:

http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewArticle.do?articleId=174

Here are six most recent additions to the Brewers organization. All of these players have reported to the Brewers extended spring training complex in Maryvale, Arizona, and all of them likely will open the season with the Arizona Brewers at the low rookie level in mid to late-June.

Joel Rivera. The Brewers drafted Rivera largely for his physical size, as he is a true 5-tool athlete with exciting raw athleticism. He withdrew from Brookdale Community College, so he never had the chance to step onto a field this spring and show what he could do.

Jared Theodorakos. Theodorakos is a big lefty that has good stuff when he's healthy. He throws comfortably in the low-90s and is an innings eater. He missed most of his senior year due to a shoulder injury, and after a 13-month layoff returned this spring as Baylor's mid-week starter logging 10 starts. As a fifth-year senior, he earned an extra medical redshirt year of eligibility which made him eligible for the draft & follow process. The Brewers astutely recognized this and plucked him in the 25th round in last June's draft. He posted a 4.85 ERA in 39 innings of working, striking out 32 batters and walking 13. Given his college experience, he could see some time at Helena this season, but the Brewers may opt to take it slow given his shoulder problems.

Hasan Rasheed. Rasheed had a huge year for Lake City Community College, batting .391 with a .476 on-base percentage and a .536 slugging percentage in 215 at-bats. Rasheed is rather small, and likely will never hit for much power, but he does have surprising pop for his size. His game-breaking speed is what makes him so valuable, and he is a menace on the basepaths and covers a lot of ground in centerfield. Look for Rasheed to be Arizona's everyday leadoff man.

Justin Wilson. The Brewers drafted Wilson out of high school in the 17th round of the 2001 draft. They drafted him again last year in the 37th round, so they have had their eyes on him for quite some time now. The left-handed pitcher has a very good, strong and sturdy frame at 6'2", 200 pounds. He has had elbow problems for a few years now, and finally worked himself back into Chandler-Gilbert Community College's pitching staff in mid-March. He only tossed 11 innings upon his return, as it's pretty clear the Brewers signed him for what he can do and not for what he has done.

Robert Hinton. Hinton pitched himself into the #1 starter role for Manatee Community College by midseason. He works in the upper 80s with a slider that can be a dominant pitch at times. He also throws a curve and a changeup, and like all pitchers he's at his best when he's pitching in and around the strike zone. This year he went 7-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 12 starts, including 4 complete games and 2 shutouts. Robert is the son of former big league pitcher Rich Hinton. He gets high marks for his makeup and overall character, and is a fierce competitor on the mound.

Clay Blevins. An accomplished hitter, Blevins was named to the Jayhawk League First-Team All-Conference team two years in a row playing for the Cowley County Tigers. He bats left-handed, and finished the year hitting .320 with a .409 on-base percentage and a .503 slugging percentage in 169 at-bats. He clubbed 22 doubles and 3 home runs, makes good contact and doesn't strike out very often. After committing 15 errors this spring, it would seem as though he needs some work behind the dish.

If you have any questions or comments please contact me at pebert@brewerfan.net.