BRADENTON, Fla. — Neil Walker, one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' top hitting prospects, cleanly fielded a ground ball and effortlessly threw across the diamond, then playfully shouted, "What's so hard about that?"

After about two dozen more flawless attempts, it seemed a valid question.

Team management decided shortly before spring training to convert Walker from catcher to third baseman, and the early results from his daily workouts at Pirate City appear to be encouraging.

"It's going to take time, and I think people should understand that," said Brian Graham, the Pirates' director of player development. "But there's no question in my mind Neil's got the tools to be a major-league third baseman. And you know what? By the time he gets there, the way his bat is going to play at the top level, people aren't going to care what position he plays."

Plenty of attention is paid to Walker in Pittsburgh, partly because he was the Pirates' first-round pick in the 2004 amateur draft and partly because of he's a switch-hitter with power.

But there is also the fact that he is a graduate of Pine-Richland High School, where Walker, 21, also played third base.

"At first, I had some mixed feelings about it," he said. "But I understand that this is the best way for me to get to the big leagues faster, and I'm all for that."

The Pirates feel they are set at catcher with Ronny Paulino after he batted .310 as a rookie last season and demonstrated a deft touch in handling the pitching staff.

That meant that Walker, who will open the coming season with Double-A Altoona, might have had no opening once he reached Pittsburgh. Rather than wait longer and allow Walker to become further entrenched in catching, the team decided to make a move now.

Walker appeared in only 82 games last season, slowed by wrist surgery the previous offseason. He batted a combined .271 with five home runs and 38 RBIs with Single-A Lynchburg and Altoona. He also appeared in the Futures Game that was part of All-Star week at Pittsburgh's PNC Park.

The first step in making Walker a third baseman, Graham said, will be footwork.

"He has the hands, above-average arm strength, the ability to throw from all angles, agility, balance, athleticism, good instincts ... he has what it takes," Graham said. "But he's starting out in the infant stages, so there's a lot of catching up to do."

Walker said, "Right now, it's a lot of footwork and reading balls off the bat. Once I get that down, I think the rest will come slowly but surely. And I can take a lot from my catching into playing third base."