Tom Haudricourt: Mike, We initially had those same questions when the Brewers drafted Rogers over Bailey. The Brewers seemed to think he had a huge upside because he hadn't pitched as much, and that he was such a great athlete and kid he was too good to pass over. I think the Brewers considered him easier to sign than Bailey, also. We'll see if they made a mistake. The fact that Rogers throws across his body somewhat is a bit alarming.

Tom Haudricourt: The Brewers have tended to draft high school players, with the exception of Rickie Weeks, who was an easy No. 2 choice. They have tried to stock up on pitching, but have a real need at third base. There are some decent college third basemen out there this year, so they could be tempted by that.

Tom Haudricourt: A lot of scouts have compared Weeks to Joe Morgan at the same stage. That's quite a compliment. If he turns out to be anything like Morgan, the Brewers will be thrilled. They project him as a 15-20 homer guy in the majors.

Tom Haudricourt: As you noted, the Brewers have been woeful in signing and developing Latin players. Maybe they are turning the corner with Iribarren, Escobar, etc. One change in philosophy has been the decision to get younger Latin players to the States quicker instead of letting them languish in the Latin summer leagues.

Tom Haudricourt: Wow, that's pretty tough to project at this stage. Pitchers who performed well in rookie ball, such as Yovanni Gallardo, Rafael Lluveres, Brandon Parillo, Josh Wahpepah and Robert Wooley would seem to be candidates.

Tom Haudricourt: The Brewers' top 10 list is a good one, especially considering Weeks, Fielder, Hart, Nelson and perhaps Krynzel and Capellan all project to play together in Triple-A -- one step away from the majors.

Tom Haudricourt: They will keep an eye on the top prep players, especially the pitchers. As I mentioned, they might be tempted to go after a top college third baseman, the one position in the minors in which they have no top prospects.

Tom Haudricourt: Woolard and Villaneuva have both held their own in the Brewers' system, particularly Woolard, who clicked off a long string of scoreless innings last year. They are not Top 30 prospects yet but have decent arms and certainly were a good return for Franklin, who had no place on the Brewers' staff.

Tom Haudricourt: Hard to say at this point, but the Brewers really like his potential. If you noticed, the Brewers were the most aggressive in drafting Canadian players in the early rounds. Melvin and Ash are Canadians, so that was hardly a shock. The limit on visas made it impossible to get those players into the pro ranks last year but the Brewers have high hopes for Periard.

Tom Haudricourt: That last question might be a tip. Periard and some of the other Canadians should be watched. Some of the players who just missed the list, such as Callix Crabbe, Tommy Hawk and Adam Heether, could make leaps forward.

Tom Haudricourt: Narron certainly breezed through the Rangers' system last year. But, for a big guy, he's a soft tosser, meaning he has to be perfect with his pitches. Those guys often have trouble making that last leap to the majors. But, when he's locating his pitches, Narron is an intriguing guy. The Brewers thought he was worth a waiver claim, and Melvin has done well with Texas rejects in the past.

Tom Haudricourt: Well, there is no DH in the NL, so he has no future there with the Brewers. Fielder must prove he can play first base in the majors. Everybody thinks he'll hit at that level. He's a bit short for a first baseman, which concerns me a bit. If he swings the bat like they think he will, Fielder will be allowed to sink or swim at first base.

Tom Haudricourt: Iribarren is far enough away that the Brewers don't have to think about that yet. Weeks is definitely their second baseman of the future. If Weeks turns out to be what the Brewers think he'll be, at some point they'll probably move Iribarren to another position, or use him as trade bait to get something else they need.

Tom Haudricourt: Right now, that would probably be Nelson Cruz, mainly because he hasn't played for the Brewers yet. Cruz came from Oakland in the Keith Ginter trade and put up huge numbers in the A's system last year. The Brewers also like a young outfielder in their system named Drew Anderson, who came out of Nebraska with limited baseball experience. He batted .307 with 22 doubles, 5 homers, 59 RBI and 12 stolen bases at Class A Beloit last year.

Tom Haudricourt: Yes. The Brewers think he has a big-time arm and he did quite well in rookie ball last year (0.47 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 19 13 IP in 6 games).

Tom Haudricourt: It's a tough call, and one we've debated over and over. But we just think Weeks has a higher ceiling, with more tools than Fielder. We could be proved wrong. Weeks tore up the Arizona Fall League, though, and some scouts think he'll come fast now.

Tom Haudricourt: Palmisano was 15th, I believe. There aren't many knocks on his ability. He hasn't shown a lot of power yet, but that could come. He had his mechanics fouled up last year and it affected his throwing, but he came to Milwaukee for special tutoring and looked much better afterward.

Tom Haudricourt: This is setting the bar awfully high, but some scouts think he looks like Robin Yount at the same stage (though Yount came to the majors as a teenager). The similarities are body type, competitiveness and taking the right approach to the game. The reason the Brewers are gambling on Hardy at short this spring is the way he competes. He is a mentally tough kid.

Tom Haudricourt: It seemed like Iribarren came out of nowhere last year because he had been playing in the Dominican Summer League for a few seasons. He totally dominated the rookie Arizona League, batting .439, then moved up to Class A Beloit and didn't miss a beat, batting .373. He can really swing the bat and therefore projects to move up rapidly.

Tom Haudricourt: Gwynn's bat has always been suspect. He is a superior defensive CF but scouts worry about how much he'll hit. He seems to wear down as the year goes on, and really looked bad in the Arizona Fall League. He'll have to prove he can hit to be considered a top major league prospect.

Tom Haudricourt: Rogers does project as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. As you mentioned, the Brewers have had little luck with high school pitchers, which makes it interesting that they went with Rogers. He throws across his body a bit and that must be corrected. They were extremely careful with how much he pitched in rookie ball and the Brewers will continue to monitor him closely.

Tom Haudricourt: By all accounts, Hardy's shoulder is 100% and the Brewers will give him a shot to win the shortstop job in spring camp. They wanted him to play a month or so in Mexico but he was dropped from the team after one week when he didn't hit. After sitting out six months, that was to be expected. The Brewers want him to handle the job defensively this spring and will be patient with his hitting.

Tom Haudricourt: Krynzel will have to win the job from Brady Clark this spring to be in the lineup. Whether the Brewers would keep him as an extra outfielder remains to be seen. They might prefer to send him to Triple-A to play every day. They know he can handle the work defensively. He just has to show he can be consistent at the plate, which has eluded him in the past.

Tom Haudricourt: Diggins is supposedly healthy and will be in the Brewers' minor league camp. Obviously, he has a lot of catching up to do. Before he had Tommy John surgery, the Brewers liked him a lot.

Tom Haudricourt: The Brewers like Gallardo a lot and thought he was a good pickup in the second round. He'll probably go to Class A West Virginia this year. The Brewers think he has a very high ceiling.

Tom Haudricourt: Jones, who had labrum surgery, won't pitch this year, probably. He has been beset with injuries, both to his elbow and shoulder. What toll they will take remains to be seen. Right now, he has the potential to follow in the ill-fated footsteps of Nick Neugebauer and J.M. Gold. He must show he can stay healthy and pitch through a full season. Obviously, his star has fallen considerably.

Tom Haudricourt: The Brewers were astonished at how good Salome looked in instructional ball. They really like the way he throws and handles himself behind the plate. And he swung the bat better than projected. He didn't get to play much in rookie ball and the Brewers might send him back there to start the 2005 season, but it wouldn't surpise me one bit if they sent him to Class A West Virginia.

Tom Haudricourt: Capellan has a special arm, and the Brewers will give him every opportunity to be a starting pitcher. But they also believe he could be a top-notch closer if he isn't consistent enough as a starter. That's what the Brewers really liked about him -- the fact they have two shots at making him an impact player.

Tom Haudricourt: Probably not. He is projected as a corner outfielder right now. But, as with everything in life, that could change.

Tom Haudricourt: Yes. Palmisano was disciplined for that incident and the Brewers believe he learned a valuable lesson. They consider him a solid individual and a good leader, and believe that incident was a one-time thing.

Tom Haudricourt: They both are very highly considered. Weeks is given a slight edge in across-the-board skills, but Burke is no slouch.

Tom Haudricourt: It is difficult to say at this early stage. He can throw his fastball in the mid to high 90s and has a very good curveball. That combination has been good for many of the game's top pitchers, including the Brewers' Ben Sheets.

Tom Haudricourt: Not really. The Brewers had some tough luck with injuries to their top pitchers. Others, such as Weeks and Fielder, were pushed to tougher levels and had to make adjustments. That doesn't mean the Brewers think any less of them. In fact, pushing them instead of coddling them could produce better, quicker results in the majors.

Tom Haudricourt: As mentioned earlier, it was tough. They are very close.

Tom Haudricourt: Pena is indeed a Top 30 prospect. I think you'll find him about No. 16 or 17 (we made some last-minute adjustments). He really stepped up at Beloit last year and the Brewers added him to their 40-man roster. He is one to watch.

Tom Haudricourt: Cruz was acquired after I submitted my Top 10 and 30 lists to BA. I believe he was inserted somewhere in the second 10. He is definitely a major league prospect and a player the Brewers like a lot. He probably would not have been in the original Top 10, but close.

Tom Haudricourt: Jon Steitz, taken in the third roun in 2001, quickly flamed out and was released. I don't recall if he had arm problems, but I do know that he never pitched as he did with Yale. One of those top picks that just didn't pan out, and one of the few that scouting director Jack Zduriencik has missed on.

Tom Haudricourt: Capellan is completely recovered from Tommy John surgery three years ago, as evidenced by his radar gun readings. If he doesn't develop a good third pitch, closing might be in his future.

Tom Haudricourt: Haven't heard any GM rumors. But it's noteworthy that he was the only department head retained when Doug Melvin replaced Dean Taylor as GM.

Tom Haudricourt: I believe the Brewers' farm system was ranked No. 1 by BA last year. That wasn't my doing, but I agreed that the farm system was stocked with big-league prospects. And I still do. I certainly never said the Brewers were great. So, if you think I overhyped the farm system, time will tell. And, if you think I have a home town bias, you might want to talk to the folks who run the club. With 12 consecutive losing seasons, I believe my articles have been appropriately tough on thyem. I'm sorry you don't consider me objective. No one else accuses me of that.

Tom Haudricourt: Wihlemsen was punted because of substance abuse and there have been no indications that he will return. Sadly, it appears a promising career was tossed aside.

Tom Haudricourt: Weeks, Fielder and Hardy all project as every-day, impact players in the majors. We aren't sure where Capellan projects yet, but he certainly has vast potential. He was not considered the Braves' No. 1 prospect. He was considered their No. 1 pitching prospect. Nothing's wrong with No. 4, believe me.

Tom Haudricourt: Wahpepah did. Wooley did not. But he was close and the Brewers think he can be a good pitcher. Let's see what he does this year.

Tom Haudricourt: I'd have to take some time and look at all the Triple-A rosters after they were completed. But, let's put it this way. Few teams, if any, have more legitimate big-league prospects than the Brewers will place in Nashville this year.

Tom Haudricourt: Krynzel could win the CF job in spring if he shows he can handle the work offensively. He has not been consistent in that area as yet. If he doesn't win a starting job, the Brewers will have to decide if it's better for them and Krynzel to be an extra player or go to Triple-A and play every day. I suspect they would chose the latter.

Tom Haudricourt: As I mentioned, the Brewers will keep Iribarren at 2B for now and see how he does. Crabbe barely missed the Top 30 and there was much discussion about including him. He has a lot of ability.

Tom Haudricourt: As mentioned earlier, he made a big impression in instructional camp. He's a bit squatty in build, but that's not a huge hindrance for a catcher.

Tom Haudricourt: All of the above. There has definitely been some bad luck. Ironically, one of the main things the Brewers liked about Jones in high school was his "flawless" delivery. Somewhere along the line, he lost that. They have made some bad choices as well. J.M. Gold had injury problems in high school and other teams avoided him.

Tom Haudricourt: Without question, Eveland. For starters, he's a lefty, and that always helps. The guy also knows how to pitch. He competes and has good stuff. The Brewers expect him to pitch in the big leagues.

Tom Haudricourt: Don't hold two tough starts in Beloit against him. That was a big jump for a kid just out of high school. He probably was a bit tired. He threw a lot of pitches in HS. The Brewers like him a lot.

Tom Haudricourt: I'll be honest with you and say I'm not sure. He did come out of college, however, so it's not a shock that he did well in rookie ball. As we all know, the Brewers are very deep at that position.

Tom Haudricourt: The word is that Parra is healthy. This is a big year for him, though. He must prove he can stay healthy and make all of his starts. If so, the Brewers believe he has a high ceiling. Again, it doesn't hurt that he's a lefty.