Prospects Kelly, Wisdom among Cards' cuts

JUPITER, Fla. -- With their first major wave of cuts this spring, the Cardinals reduced the number of players in Major League camp to 49 after Monday's 17-5 loss to the Tigers. Among those sent out were three of the organization's top 10 prospects, according to MLB.com's rankings.

Right-hander Angel Castro, outfielder Mike O'Neill and outfielder Rafael Ortega, all of whom are on the club's 40-man roster, were optioned to Triple-A. They'll be joined in Minor League camp by six players who were in the big league clubhouse as non-roster invitees: right-hander Boone Whiting, right-hander Kurt Heyer, third baseman Patrick Wisdom and catchers Carson Kelly, Casey Rasmus and Cody Stanley.

In addition, the Cardinals reassigned lefty Marco Gonzales, the team's top pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, to Minor League camp on Sunday. Gonzales appeared in only one Grapefruit League game due to a brief setback with forearm tightness.

Gonzales (No. 5), Kelly (No. 8) and Wisdom (No. 9) all cracked the top half of the Cardinals' Top 20 prospects for 2014. O'Neill is No. 19 on that list.