talking to him he says this is the best h

[lw789]

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Manager John Gibbons offered a glimpse Sunday of the Blue Jays much-debated pitching rotation. He helped fill in some of the gaps when he said the pitching questions remaining are who will be the fifth starter and whether the team will carry seven or eight in the bullpen. Previously GM Alex Anthopoulos had talked of two openings left to fill in a starting rotation that already features R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Brandon Morrow. A gaggle of pitchers has been competing for the fourth and fifth sports with J.A. Happ, Drew Hutchison and Ricky Romero the leading contenders although Happs back issues had muddied the waters somewhat. Asked Sunday if Happ was the fourth starter with one position still open, Gibbons replied: "Yeah, Im a big Happ fan. I think hes going to have a heck of a year for us and all indications the other day are his backs fine. He threw very well (in a minor league game Friday). That was a big question. "Now if his back flares up, that might be a different story." Hutchison is widely believed to have already pitched his way into the rotation. In three outings this spring, the 23-year-old right-hander has given up three runs in 9 2-3 innings for an ERA of 2.79. He has struck out 16 and walked one. "Hes been pitching great," Gibbons acknowledged. "Arguably the best of anybody in camp." Then he clammed up, returning to his stock response that the lineup will be announced at the end of the spring. "So keep asking. You aint getting nothing," he said devilishly. Gibbons confirmed Dickey will pitch first with left-hander Buehrle third in the rotation. Morrow reportedly will throw fifth, which would put him on the mound for the home opener April 4 against the Yankees. The Jays open March 31 with a four-game series in Tampa. The manager declined comment on Morrow pitching fifth. But he rejected the suggestion that a veteran was needed to handle the pressure of pitching the home opener. "Its a big day but, you know what, if you dont think they can handle that day they probably shouldnt be there." Gibbons also said he had no issue with southpaws Buehrle and Happ pitching back-to-back. "Theyre both left-handers but theyre different type of pitchers," he said. In case a second opinion on the starting rotation is needed, the Jays asked fans via Twitter on Sunday to offer their suggestions. "Who do you think should be included in the @BlueJays Opening Day Pitching Rotation? Send us your 5 pitchers and rank them 1-5," the team tweeted Sunday on its official account. Gibbons confirmed locks in the bullpen are Casey Janssen, Sergio Santos, Brett Cecil, Aaron Loup and Steve Delabar. "Theyre not going anywhere," Gibbons said. "Your other guys will be your middle and long (relief) guys so were covered with our late-inning go-to guys." Pitchers Esmil Rogers, Todd Redmond, Jeremy Jeffress and Dustin McGowan are out of options, meaning the team could lose them if they are sent down. McGowan is expected to be part of the opening bullpen, despite his desire to be a starter. "Theres some pretty good pitchers out there that are out of options and you cant keep them all," said Gibbons. "We also think the guys we cut loose will probably get grabbed," he added. A seven-man bullpen would give the Jays a four-man bench. "Thats the risk you take. If you take that extra bullpen guy, youre shorter on the bench." said Gibbons. "Thats not ideal but it might cover our rotation a little bit, make the pitching staff that much stronger if we go with eight." Despite the options complication, Gibbons insisted the team would take the best 25 players north. Also Sunday, the Jays optioned pitchers Kyle Drabek, Chad Jenkins and Sean Nolin to triple-A Buffalo. Reliever Neil Wagner was sent down Friday. B.J. Hill Jersey . -- Even as Chris Paul remained evasive about his future, he did what team leaders are expected to do. Saquon Barkley Jersey . - Houston defensive end J. http://www.giantsrookiesproshop.com/ale ... ts-jersey/. Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN Canadiens at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The game can also be heard on TSN Radio Montreal 690. The Calgary Flames will see if they can take their recent hot streak on the road when they shoot for a sixth consecutive win Monday night in Montreal. Saquon Barkley Giants Jersey . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Cody Latimer Giants Jersey . The hard-serving 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., became the first Canadian to be ranked in the Top 10 on the ATP World Tour thanks to his runner-up performance at Rogers Cup in Montreal.PHOENIX -- Cornerback Patrick Peterson says hes confident he will get a new contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He just doesnt know when. The Cardinals and his agent are in the early stages of negotiations, Peterson said, with no timetable on reaching an agreement. One thing for sure -- it will be a big deal. Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman just signed a four-year, $57 million contract with $40 million guaranteed. Peterson, a two-time All-Pro selection who has made the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons in the NFL, wouldnt say whether his contract should be bigger than Shermans. But Peterson said he "kind of" had a smile on his face when he saw the terms of Shermans deal. He spoke Monday to announce a drive by his Patrick Peterson Foundation for Success to provide help to low-income and inner-city youth to have the resources they need to succeed. The foundations goal is to help 30,000 at-risk Arizona youth by 2015. A fundraising event, with his teammates serving at a local restaurant, is set for June 9. Peterson said that from the moment he became a professional football player, he decided his charity work would be aimed at helping children. Peterson congratulated Sherman on his contract and said the cornerback position has become a valuable one. "I think cornerbacks are definitely worth the dollars that they get because now this league is a passing league," he said. "You need that shutdown corner to lock down one side of the field, or like myself, go out there the entire field." Rather than play one side on defence, Peterson goes from side to side to defend the opponents best receiver. His skill and worth to the team may well drive his contract higher than Shermmans.dddddddddddd The Cardinals just picked up the option on Peterson for 2015, and hes not sure any deal will get done before the coming season. He knows the Cardinals are eager to keep him, though. "I think Ill be here for a while," Peterson said. "Thats a definite guarantee, Ill be here for a while." Coach Bruce Arians has said he wants to ease up on Petersons punt-return duties, and there is less chance he will be used on offence. Peterson tied an NFL record by returning four punts for touchdowns as a rookie but has not done it since. He said hes "cool" with Arians moves. "At the end of the day, I believe coach wants to put me in the best position that he can to keep me healthy, for one, and be successful," Peterson said. "Teams are starting to game-plan against me. Youve got teams kicking it to the sidelines, not kicking it as deep as they did the week before." Peterson likes the look of the secondary with the addition of cornerback Antonio Cromartie and last weeks selection of hard-hitting safety Deone Bucannon from Washington State, in the first round of the draft. Tyrann Mathieu, coming off knee surgery, is expected to fill the other safety spot with Rashad Johnson adding depth to the position. Peterson said he believes Cromartie "has a lot left in his tank." "You hear a lot of talk Oh, can he stay healthy? Is his hip going to be OK?" Peterson said. "But talking to him he says this is the best hes felt since he first entered the NFL." Bucannons addition drew a rave review from the star cornerback. "Im excited to see him fly around and knock off some chin straps -- legally," Peterson said. White NFL Jerseys Cheap Youth NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Discount Jerseys ' ' '