Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Pitching prospect Charlie Morton and catcher-first baseman Tyler Flowers were among nine players dropped from the camp roster Wednesday in the first round of cuts by the Braves.

"I like Charlie Morton — he's going to be a good pitcher," Braves manager Bobby Cox said of the right-hander, who made two relief appearances and gave up five hits and four runs (one earned) in three innings, with two walks and one strikeout.

Morton was optioned to Class AAA Richmond, where he'll be part of an opening-day rotation that could include the likes of Chuck James and Jeff Bennett.

"Too bad they're not in Gwinnett this year," Cox said, referring to the Class AAA team's planned 2009 move to a new ballpark to be built in Gwinnett County north of Atlanta.

Flowers, 22, hit .286 with a homer in 14 at-bats this spring, and the 250-pound prospect hit a few tape-measure homers in batting practice. He was reassigned to Class A Myrtle Beach.

Also dropped from the roster were right-handed pitchers Zach Schreiber, Phil Stockman, Matt DeSalvo and Jairo Cuevas; shortstops Javier Guzman and Diory Hernandez; and catcher J.C. Boscan.

Schreiber and Stockman were optioned to Richmond and Cuevas was optioned to Class AA Mississippi. Other reassignments: DeSalvo (Richmond), Boscan (Mississippi), and Guzman and Hernandez (minor league camp).