Omar Aguilar, a right-handed reliever ticketed for his first big league camp, spent the offseason working out with Fuentes in northern California. Aguilar is a closer in the making, and he joked with Fuentes that there were better destinations than Milwaukee.

"I kind of heard rumors about him coming to the Brewers," Aguilar said. "I was like, 'Man, Tito, I don't know if that's the best place for you. I don't want to have to take your spot during the season."

Fuentes instead picked his home-state Angels, leaving Aguilar to find his own way at Maryvale Baseball Park. The 24-year-old jumped up Milwaukee's depth chart last season by posting a 1.98 ERA and 17 saves in 47 relief appearances between Class A Brevard County and Double-A Huntsville, then working 10 scoreless appearances in the Arizona Fall League before he finally allowed two runs in his finale.

The year was good enough to earn the hard-thrower a spot on Milwaukee's 40-man roster and his first invitation to big league camp, where he's been making a positive first impression.

"He's aggressive, from what I see," Brewers pitching coach Bill Castro said. "We'll know a lot more when the games start, but so far I like what I see."

A bullpen full of more experienced relievers would have to miss the cut for Aguilar to win a spot on Milwaukee's Opening Day roster, but he is suddenly one of the organization's more intriguing pitching prospects. The soon-to-be 24-year-old -- his birthday is March 31 -- has a plus fastball that scouts grade as 60, the top score available.

"You can't teach power," said Dick Groch, a special assistant to general manager Doug Melvin. "Those are the guys most coveted by teams, because you can teach command and control later. That's definitely a tool."

Aguilar has struck out 145 batters in 130 2/3 professional innings, but it has not been a steady climb. The Giants made Aguilar their 27th-round Draft pick in 2003 when he was coming out of high school, but he went to Merced Community College to improve his stock. San Francisco drafted him again the next year, this time in the eighth round.

Again Aguilar passed, turning down what would have been a significant signing bonus. But he hurt his elbow the following year, and as the '05 First-Year Player Draft approached, only Milwaukee was showing serious interest. Aguilar traveled to Miller Park for a tryout, and the Brewers took a flyer on him in the 30th round in 2005.

Five months later, Aguilar needed Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow.

"That was a long year," Aguilar said. "A lot of work, a lot of rehab. But I was surrounded by good guys."

While Aguilar rehabbed, much of his $75,000 signing bonus from the Brewers went to his immediate family. Aguilar's mother, Irma, raised him along with his two older sisters and a younger brother.

"My dad was an alcoholic and he passed away when I was 5, so my mom has always been like a mom and a dad to me," Omar said. "She's been my inspiration.

"My sisters were good at pounding me to get a job. I always wanted to play baseball in the summer, but at the same time, I don't come from a wealthy family and my sisters would say, 'It's time to work, it's time to get some money.' In the end, I think they're glad now that I stuck with baseball."

Because he didn't pocket a huge signing bonus, Aguilar also has had to make his own financial ends meet. This offseason, he worked at a Chevron gas station.

"It was actually a lot of fun," Aguilar said. "I worked in the car wash, worked inside at the corner. Working in a convenience store you get your regular guys who come in and talk to you. It lets you meet all kinds of different people.

"Everyone knew I play professional baseball and they were all like, 'Why do you work here?' They had the impression that we all make millions of dollars."

He's working on that. When the Mariners claimed Luis Pena off waivers last week it further cleared a path for Aguilar to Triple-A Nashville, where he could be the closer for Milwaukee's top Minor League affiliate.

For now, he's trying to soak up the experience of big league camp. Aguilar was among four pitchers added to the 40-man roster in November, a move to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, and he's enjoying his first taste of big league life.

"My first bullpen, I was just up there firing balls everywhere," Aguilar said. "They're like, 'Take it easy -- 80 or 85 percent.' That's a change for me, but you have to just take your time and get ready."

Big league camp offers more one-on-one instruction, and Aguilar has already gotten to know his new Triple-A pitching coach, Chris Bosio, who has shown him a variety of alternative slider grips. Aguilar began working last year on a more standard slider instead of the "slurvy" breaking ball he has worked with in the past.

He is one of eight pitchers scheduled to throw an inning during a Brewers intrasquad game on Tuesday.

"You have to remember that he's pitched at Double-A and now he's going to Triple-A, and that's a quantum leap," Groch said. "But you look at the potential, and it's there. Those are the kind of guys that you like to have."