BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates trimmed down their camp roster on Monday afternoon by making a second round of Spring Training cuts. Among those cut were third baseman Pedro Alvarez, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, and second baseman Shelby Ford.

Alvarez was optioned to Class A Lynchburg, and Bucs general manager Neal Huntington confirmed that the 22-year-old infielder will begin in the high Class A affiliate.

"He's shown some great things this spring, some things to be very excited about going forward," Huntington said. "We want to make sure that we put him in a position where he can go out and be successful, not try to survive. It seems to be a pretty solid track record of advanced college hitters being able to go to that level and get their feet on the ground."

Right-handed reliever Ronald Uviedo was also optioned to Lynchburg. Righty Jeff Sues and catcher Steve Lerud were both optioned to Double-A Altoona. Starter Jimmy Barthmaier was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Ford, right-handed starter Daniel McCutchen and right-handed reliever Juan Mateo were all reassigned to Minor League camp. Ford is likely to begin the season as the starting second baseman in Indianapolis, and McCutchen will be in the starting rotation there. Mateo, too, is likely to start in Triple-A.

But while Huntington emphasized that the organization remains encouraged by the upside that all eight of these players have, it's Alvarez who has been the most publicly scrutinized this spring. It comes with the territory of being such a high-profile prospect.

After impressing during workout batting practices, Alvarez had notable success in his first time facing Major League pitchers, as well. He had eight hits, including three doubles and a home run, in 18 at-bats this spring. He drove in five runs and drew two walks.

"There was a little bit of uneasiness in how comfortable he'd look in the batter's box against some good caliber pitching, and he looked right at home and comfortable," Huntington said. "He's a guy that, while he has some things to work on, the upside is something that we're excited about."

Both Alvarez and Huntington are staying away from putting the "fast track" label ahead of Alvarez's name, though many talent evaluators have said that the third baseman should be in Pittsburgh next year. A call up in September is not out of the question, either, as Huntington said that Alvarez's development will dictate how quickly he makes a move through the organization's Minor League system.

"This is my first taste of professional baseball," Alvarez said. "I know that I still have a lot to learn, a lot of adjustments to make just to improve my all-around game. I'm at the start of my career. I still have a lot to prove to be up here with these guys.

"Obviously, I'm going to play to the best of my abilities to come up as quick as I can. The only thing that I can do is work hard and play hard and not worry about anything else. Everything will take care of itself."

Barthmaier and McCutchen are expected to make up two-fifths of the Triple-A rotation, as each has now been officially taken out of the mix for the Pirates' rotation vacancies. Joining them in Triple-A will be Ford, who can leave camp knowing that he made one of the bigger impressions in Spring Training.

"It's always fun when you hear from your scouts and you hear from your development people that you're going to like this guy, and then that player goes out and shows you reasons why they told you that," Huntington said. "There's a lot there to like about Shelby Ford."

Ford is expected to be Indianapolis' primary second baseman, and the goal for the 2006 third-round Draft pick will be to play his first full season injury-free since being drafted. Depending on how Ford continues to develop and perform, he has put himself in position to be considered for a call up later in the year should the Pirates part ways with either shortstop Jack Wilson or second baseman Freddy Sanchez during the season.

Ford, whose right wrist sprain is not expected to keep him off the field much longer, went 5-for-20 this spring. Infield coach Perry Hill also lauded the strides that Ford made defensively, going as far as to say that Ford's defense is now of Major League-caliber.

Uviedo, Sues and Mateo are all relievers that the Pirates continue to eye as potential Major League bullpen arms down the road. Sues' main crutch in recent years has been his health, and like Ford, he needs a full healthy season to take the next step forward.

Pittsburgh is hopeful of seeing more consistency from Uviedo in the Minors and more confidence to go after hitters. Uviedo, 22, allowed five runs in 2 1/3 innings this spring. Mateo allowed three earned runs in seven spring appearances.

Lerud, who was added to the organization's 40-man roster in November, remains a catcher that the Pirates see some upside in. He went 0-for-11 at the plate this spring.

The Pirates now have 45 players left in big league camp.