The first cuts have been made, as five players have been reassigned to their minor league camps.
Five pitchers got the axe: Jimmy Barthmeier, Jared Gothreaux, Juan Gutierrez, Jason Hirsh, and Mark McLemore.
Most people thought had Hirsh had at least an outside shot at the Opening Day roster, and I personally thought Gothreaux had a chance. Hirsh pitched poorly, posting a 9.00 ERA, but Gothreaux actually threw well in very limited work. So did Barthmaier for that matter, although there's no doubt Jimmy belongs at Corpus Christi. And Mark McLemore didn't pitch at all, making me wonder about his supposedly untorn labrum.
It's possible Alan Zinter thought his big homer last night vs. the Braves would forestall the inevitable. But it didn't. Zinter had some defensive problems during the spring, and was thus one of two postion players cast out. Another was JR House, who, when asked to play around the infield instead of at his customary catcher's position, butchered a few plays himself this March. Both can work on the D at Round Rock if they so choose.