BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates made their first wave of spring training cuts Monday, optioning or reassigning 11 players.
In the morning, Blake Cederlind, JT Brubaker and Cody Ponce were optioned to triple-A Indianapolis, while Montana DuRapau, Luis Escobar and James Marvel were assigned to minor-league camp.
After Monday's game, Will Craig was optioned to triple-A, Oneil Cruz to Double A and Arden Pabst, Jason Delay and Blake Weiman were reassigned to minor-league camp.
The reason for the two distinctions is players on the 40-man roster are optioned, while those who are non-roster invitees are reassigned.
Cruz is universally regarded as one of the Pirates' top prospects. The 6'7" shortstop made an impressive with some towering fly balls, but with camp starting to inch towards the end, there wasn't a spot for him anymore.
"We tried to reinforce all the good things with him, and also explain he needs to play," Ben Cherington said. "He needs to get at-bats, and we're going to start running out of at-bats in big league camp as we get closer towards the season."
Cederlind burst onto the scene in his first major-league spring training, striking out nine of his 17 batters faced by pumping sinkers that flirted with 100 mph.
He, along with Ponce and Cruz, were added to the 40-man roster in November.
"I had a great time," Cederlind said of his first spring experience. "Time to go down there and work."
Brubaker and Marvel were the Pirates' 2018 and 2019 minor-league pitchers of the year, respectively. Both were used as relievers in spring games, so they will now get stretched out back into starters.
After missing most of 2019 with a right forearm injury, Brubaker said it felt good to go through camp healthy.
"I was excited to go back out there on the mound, face some hitters," Brubaker said. "Just to be able to tell myself I'm able to go out there and compete without having any [health] worries, it really was a confidence boost."
Craig, a first baseman and right-fielder, was the Pirates' 2016 first-round raft pick.
Ponce came from the Brewers during the trade deadline last year as part of the Jordan Lyles deal. Weiman, a left-hander reliever, could be in the mix for a midseason promotion in 2020.
DuRapau and Escobar both briefly pitched in the majors a year ago.
Pabst and Delay are minor-league catchers.
There are now 48 active players remaining in Pirates camp.
