As teams begin to make more significant cuts, prospects are typically the first to go. This is the situation in Pirates' and Reds' camps, as top prospects Pedro Alvarez and Yonder Alonso were among the respective cuts made on Friday.
The Pirates also sent Jose Tabata down to Triple-A, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where he will join Alvarez in the Indianapolis Indians' lineup. Both could be in Pittsburgh by mid-summer. Yonder Alonso will head to Triple-A Louisville, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. It will be more difficult for Alonso to be called up to Cincinnati due to Joey Votto's presence at 1B in the majors, but he could also be major league ready during the 2010 season.
Friday is the last day to option players who did not appear in the majors in 2009 to the minors without risking an additional year of their service time (should they get injured during the remainder of the spring).
