LAKELAND, Florida – That Ricky Romeros name was even being mentioned as a possibility for the last remaining spot in the Blue Jays rotation is an indication of the uncertainty surrounding the clubs starting corps less than two weeks before opening day. The above paragraph could be rewritten, verbatim, with Marcus Stromans name in place of Romeros. After both men had disastrous outings in Tuesdays 18-4 mauling at the hands of the Tigers, its clear that neither is the best option to begin the season in Toronto. Whats also clear is that it isnt clear who the best option is to join R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow and, presumably, Drew Hutchison in a rotation that last season posted baseballs second-worst starting staff ERA (4.81.) Romero and Stroman were outsiders at best to break camp with the big league club and for different reasons. There had been cautious optimism surrounding Romero, the reclamation project, who had been showing some signs of emerging from his two-year funk. Stroman, meanwhile, is a projected future star and rotation cornerstone who, along with Drew Hutchison and Aaron Sanchez, has the coaching staff salivating. Given the mediocre-to-subpar performances of J.A. Happ, Esmil Rogers and Todd Redmond this spring, theres been some consideration, however small, given to handing Stroman a rotation spot. After all, how much lesser of an option is he than any of the others? Romero, scheduled to go four or five innings on Tuesday depending on pitch count, instead went two-and-two-thirds, allowing three runs on three hits, a home run, five walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches. It could have been worse. Romero picked off two of his walks and another was caught stealing. Only 23 of Romeros 57 pitches were strikes. He acknowledged falling behind in counts and not following through in his delivery but also took a shot at Mother Nature. "It was a weird weather day, too," said Romero. "The balls were a little slick and it just kept coming out of my hand and whatnot, but I tried to battle." The game time temperature was 20-celcius. It was a sunny day. There was a breeze, but nothing out of the ordinary. Romero also admitted to being too amped up. "I was a little excited," he said. "I think just getting a start and whatnot, that was the first start Ive had since the Triple-A season ended last year. It was a little different, just trying to get used to it again." "Not enough strikes," said manager John Gibbons. "Today, all the way around, it was just a bad day in every phase of the game. Let that one go. Ive got nothing to say. Its tough for me to analyze that. You were watching what I was watching. You analyze it." While theres no doubt the Blue Jays would enjoy getting some kind of return on the $15.6-million still owed Romero through the end of next season, his name started coming up as a rotation option only after general manager Alex Anthopoulos failed to sign Ervin Santana, a non-move which seems to become more glaring by the day. Gibbons wouldnt commit to whether Romero would get another start. "This ones over," said Gibbons. "It was a bad day all the way around." Stroman was supposed to follow Romero and pitch four or five innings. He recorded only one out before being pulled in the fifth, giving up seven runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout. "Not enough strikes," said Gibbons. Its pretty simple." Toronto pitchers combined to walk 11 on the afternoon. The Blue Jays need someone to step up, pitch well and take the final rotation spot. Time is running out before the job is awarded to someone by default. Its J.A. Happs turn next. He starts on Wednesday, in Dunedin, against the Phillies. MORROW vs. BUEHRLE IN INTRASQUAD GAME Brandon Morrow, whos being strongly considered to pitch the home opener on April 4 against the Yankees, making him the "fifth" starter, squared off against Mark Buehrle in an intrasquad game in Dunedin on Tuesday. Morrow, who missed the final four months of last season with an entrapped radial nerve in his right forearm, has struggled with fastball command this spring. In three-and-two-thirds innings, he allowed two runs on four hits, walking two and striking out two. Morrow threw 63 pitches; his fastball ranged in the low-to-mid 90s. "I was getting ahead, throwing it where I wanted to," said Morrow. "I think I had a couple looking strikeouts on it. All in all, it was a good day. I felt really good with my curveball. Slider and split couldve been better, but I made some good pitches with those too." Buehrle threw four-and-third innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits (including home runs by Erik Kratz and Kenny Wilson) and two walks. He struck out three and threw 81 pitches. JANSSEN THROWS LIVE BATTING PRACTICE Casey Janssen faced live hitters for the first time since late February. He threw live batting practice on Tuesday morning in Dunedin. "Another step in the right direction," said Janssen. "Got the heart pumping a little bit, which was nice. Im sure Fridays going to be more of the same, hopefully a little bit more in the velocity department, just because therell be defenders behind me." Barring the unforeseen, Janssen is scheduled to appear in his first Grapefruit League game on Friday when the Blue Jays visit the Rays in Port Charlotte. On Tuesday, Janssen threw his fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. He didnt throw his cut fastball. Janssen has been kept out of spring games due to soreness in the back of his right shoulder. The pain is unrelated to his offseason shoulder surgery of a year ago and the discomfort it caused last year. DETERMINING LINDS ROLE Adam Lind got the start against Tigers left-hander Drew Smyly on Tuesday as the club works toward determining whether hell be a strict platoon player this season. "I always can hit lefties; I just cant hit the Cy Young lefties," said Lind. "I cant tell you how many people probably hit David Price well or Jon Lester well or CC (Sabathia) well but unfortunately all those guys are in the same division. Its the beauty of playing in this division. You know where youre at as a baseball player." Linds career splits dont lie. Hes hit right-handers at a .286 BA/.850 OPS clip and hits a home run about once in every 20 at-bats. Against left-handers, the number dwindles to .219BA/.603 OPS with a home run in 2.6-percent of his at-bats. Right-handed hitting Moises Sierra, whos out of options, is the top candidate at the moment to take those at-bats against lefties. The Jays are still trying to figure out the plan. "Hes been swinging it pretty good against some pretty good lefties this spring," said manager John Gibbons. "Well just see where it goes from there. It all stacks up right now, and Sierras that guy, he would face some of the lefties. But, I think, Lindy and (hitting coach Kevin) Seitzer have been working on an approach to face those lefties and lets see where that takes us." Lind succeeded in his goal of staying off the disabled list last season. Hed missed time with a bad back in each of the previous two years. Last offseason, Lind turned to yoga. He enjoyed it and felt that it helped so he took it up a notch this past winter. "I went personal yoga instructor this year," said Lind. "It was nice. She got to know my body and we got a little more specific instead of just having a class with 20 people in it. She would correct me if I was in the wrong positions and things like that. It was nice to have someone to be there just for me." The Blue Jays will employ a yoga instructor to conduct a session on a weekly basis in an effort to curb the number of muscle-related injuries. Lind likes the benefits. "I loved it," he said. "Ill continue to do it even when Im done playing. The way it makes you feel when you walk out of that classroom, you really get away. Theres so much more into it, Im just doing the physical part of it. Im not lost in the yoga world just yet." Dale Berra Jersey . The 57-year-old Tietjens has coached New Zealand to nine IRB World Sevens titles and to four Commonwealth Games gold medals as its only coach in the professional era. New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew said the re-signing was made with a focus on 2016 when sevens will be in the Olympics. Ryan Vogelsong Jersey . Smith, who raised eyebrows at the CFL combine in March with his ability on both sides of the ball, confirmed in a statement he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol prior to auditioning for league officials. https://www.cheappiratesjerseys.us/1662e...ey-pirates.html. Louis Cardinals for the National League Wild Card, are in the drivers seat as they open the final series of the regular season, but they face a large task in the form of the Philadelphia Phillies. Bert Blyleven Jersey .C. -- Authorities say the brother of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White has been shot and killed outside a South Carolina nightclub. Bob Robertson Jersey . Among the six changes: Drivers are now eligible if they have competed for 30 or more years in NASCAR or turned 55 in the calendar year before nominating day. Previously, drivers were not eligible until they had been retired for three years, so drivers can continue to compete and still reach the hall.TORONTO -- The head of the 2015 Pan American Games has been fired a year and a half before thousands of athletes converge in Toronto for one of the largest sporting events in the world -- a sign, sources said, that changes are needed to make sure the Games are an operational and financial success. TO2015, the organizing committee of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Games, announced Friday that CEO Ian Troop was leaving the organization and will be replaced by Saad Rafi, a former Ontario deputy minister of health. Sources within TO2015 said Troops departure was not unexpected. There have been ongoing tensions between the Games organization and the province, which is responsible for the operational costs of the multi-sport competition that will bring about 10,000 athletes from the Americas to compete in 36 Pan Am and 15 Parapan sports. "With just under two years left until the Games, TO2015 is transitioning into the operational phase of Games planning that will greatly benefit from Saads experience and expertise," TO2015 board chairman and former Ontario premier David Peterson said in an internal email to staff. The board gave no reason for Troops departure, but sources said there have been key operational issues that arent being decided, creating a real schism between the organizers and the Ontario government. Organizers are frustrated about a lack of decision making by the province, while the province had concerns about Troops leadership. The Ontario government came under criticism from the opposition parties this fall when it was disclosed there was a $7-million bonus package for TO2015 executives, including Troop, who was eligible for a $780,000 premium if the Games came in on budget. The opposition parties were also up in arms after the province announced the total budget for the Toronto 2015 Games, including transportation and security, would be at least $2.5 billion -- far above the $1.4 billion the province originally stated. The province has said the transportation budget alone would be up to $90 million to shuttle athletes and officials to the various venues, which stretch from Niagara in the west to the Orillia area in the north, and as far east as Oshawa. Troop, who was paid $477,000 last year, billed taxpayers 91 cents for parking and $8,561.19 for a Mexican hotel and coccktail party, while other expenses included $1.dddddddddddd.89 for a cup of tea. Peterson, who replaced Roger Garland as the chair of the Games organizing committee in September, said Troops removal had nothing to do with lavish bonuses and salaries that prompted the organization to changes its policies. "This is a super-charged political atmosphere in a minority house and were going to get beaten up no matter what we do," he said. "We needed to get the right person at the right time in the right place, and that was Saad." Progressive Conservative Pan Am critic Rod Jackson said hes been hearing concerns about poor oversight by the province and said it was a positive move to dismiss Troop, that Tourism and Sport Minister Michael Chan should be fired too. "I think its shameful that the minister will slash and burn everyone underneath him, without taking any responsibly for himself," said Jackson. "Until the minister is gone, I think were going to see the same missteps over and over again. The New Democrats also accused the Liberals of "throwing Troop under the bus" after defending his salary and bonus packages for months. "Families are feeling squeezed like never before and every day they hear of another public sector CEO or Liberal insider getting rich on the public dime," said NDP sports critic Paul Miller. "The Liberals are desperately trying to sweep this under the carpet, but people arent going to forget the Liberals lack of respect for public money." Chan told The Canadian Press that it would be up to the TO2015 board to decide how much Troop would be paid in severance, and said Rafi will be compensated at a level "consistent with what he made at the Ministry of Health," which was $428,000 a year. "Having Rafis tremendous experience in handling a big file and also in addressing transportation and security, I think is a very, very good choice," said Chan. The federal government is paying for the cost of new facilities, including a new cycling velodrome in the Toronto suburb of Milton, a new aquatic facility at the University of Toronto and a new stadium in Hamilton. But sources say there are concerns about the cost of running the Games and the province will be on the hook for any overruns. ' ' '