Brujan, Honeywell among Rays' first camp shuffle

The spring preview of baseball's best farm system has entered its next phase.
The Rays made their first wave of Spring Training cuts Sunday, headlined by Top 100 prospects Vidal Brujan (No. 45) and Brent Honeywell Jr. (No. 91) being optioned to Triple-A Durham. Eleventh-ranked Ronaldo Hernandez, No. 16 Kevin Padlo and No. 25 Lucius Fox also were assigned to the Bulls. No. 22 Paul Campbell and infielder Tristan Gray were sent to Minor League camp.

Despite the transaction, Brujan was available for his 11th Grapefruit League game on Sunday. Tampa Bay's No. 3 prospect went 0-for-1 and is hitting .117 (2-for-17) with two doubles and two RBIs.

Brujan, who turned 22 last month, began last season with Class A Advanced Charlotte before moving up to Double-A Montgomery at the end of June. He hit .277/.346/.389 between the two levels and led the organization with 48 stolen bases. He started 61 games at second base and 29 at shortstop, helping to build positional flexibility in a system that also includes top overall prospect Wander Franco and No. 72 overall prospect Xavier Edwards -- both middle infielders.
Honeywell, a right-hander, has not pitched in a game since Sept. 3, 2017, completing a season in which he recorded172 strikeouts and a 3.49 ERA over 136 2/3 innings. He missed all of the 2018 campaign after undergoing Tommy John Surgery and suffered a setback last June when he fractured a bone in his right elbow during a bullpen session. The 24-year-old reportedly threw his first bullpen of the spring on Friday.
Tampa Bay has 60 players left in Major League camp.