Bill Batterman is the Spring Training is just beginning and the Brewers have no shortage of fresh faces at their Arizona compound. To help fans get acclimated with this year’s crop of newcomers to the organization, the Daily Brew has been publishing a series of player profiles over the past several weeks. This is the ninth installment in the Newcomer Breakdown series, which covers major leaguers as well as selected minor leaguers; the first eight profiles covered Jerome Gamble, Derrick Turnbow, Justin Lehr, Julio Santana, Jose Capellan, Sam Narron, Nelson Cruz, and Damian Miller.
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Looking to add a veteran presence to their deeply depleted bullpen, the Brewers signed former Phillies closer and journeyman reliever Ricky Bottalico to a one-year deal in January. On the mound, Bottalico will compete with Mike Adams and Justin Lehr for the closing job but will most likely settle into a setup role. Off it, the Brewers are hoping he can help nurture their young staff as several hurlers get their feet wet in the big leagues.