The Pirates assigned Pedro Alvarez, the second overall pick, to high-Class A Lynchburg on Monday. He was among eight players cut from the Major League roster at spring training. "He believes he's going to hurry right through the system," said 2004 first-rounder Neil Walker. Alvarez batted .444 with five RBIs this spring. "This was the first step of a very long journey, and, hopefully, a very successful one. I still have a lot to learn, a lot of adjustments to make to play with these guys," he said.