Milwaukee Brewers: Pair selected in the Rule 5 Draft

The Milwaukee Brewers passed on their pick in the first round of the Rule V Draft, but they still added a pair of players.

Julio Garcia and Alexander Alvarez are the newest additions to the organization, and are slated to appear in the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League camp next Spring. Garcia was selected in the first round of the Triple-A phase of today’s Rule V Draft, and Alvarez was taken in the second round of the Triple-A phase.

Where did these guys come from, and why are they here?

Who is Julio Garcia?

Garcia has spent the last five years in the lower levels of the Los Angeles Angels system. FanGraphs had him rated outside the Angels’ Top 20 prospects. The good news is that he’s only 21 years old, and has a few tools that grade out well. Garcia has spent time at both middle infield positions, and boasts a solid glove, a cannon arm, and impressive speed.

The issue is that his bat is anemic. Garcia slashed .232/.265/.320 at Single-A, and that sounds better than it really was. He has six homers…over five seasons as a professional, and five of them occurred last year.

How about Alexander Alvarez?

It’s hard to see the Milwaukee Brewers selecting Alvarez if he played any position other than catcher. Alvarez was in his age-22 season last year and he slashed .237/.268/.381 at the Tampa Bay Rays Single-A affiliate. In 32 games, Alvarez hit three homers, scored 13 times, and drove in 11.

He’s organizational depth for the low minors in the Milwaukee Brewers system, and that’s about it.

Do the Brewers have to keep them on the Major League roster?

Nope.

They were both drafted in the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft. They’ll only cost $12,000 to return to their original club if the Milwaukee Brewers don’t want to keep them, and they can be assigned to any level of the Minors. The rules state that the players should get an opportunity to stay at a higher level, but it’s not a requirement.

It’s always exciting to see the Milwaukee Brewers pluck young talent from other organizations, but these guys aren’t exactly Major League material at this point. Garcia is intriguing, but Alvarez is essentially a guy with catcher’s gear. While players like Marwin Gonzalez or Justin Bour needed a change of scenery to get their career moving, most Rule 5 draft picks are just names on a list. It’s possible that Garcia earns a spot on the 40-man roster down the road, but getting taken in the Rule 5 draft could end up as the career highlight for both players.