Scott Carson

Stats man Scott Carson is now in his 17th season as "third man in the booth" during Blue Jays telecasts.

The Jays will rely on Jason Frasor to close out games this season.

The rebuilding Blue Jays continue to audition for spots on the mound.

The Blue Jays now find themselves with less than a week remaining in spring training and most of the questions have been answered, especially when it comes to the bullpen.

As it stands right now, only three relievers are guaranteed to be starting the season in the Majors. Jason Frasor will begin the season as the club’s closer based upon his strong spring and the fact that, as manager Cito Gaston pointed out earlier this month, that he’s done nothing to lose the job that he closed out last season doing. If Frasor does falter at some point this season, they will have Kevin Gregg (85 career saves in 107 opportunities) or Scott Downs at the ready to step in.

After that they still have Shawn Camp, Jesse Carlson, Jeremy Accardo, Casey Janssen, David Purcey, Josh Roenicke, Merkin Valdez and Dana Eveland in the Major League camp, but only four jobs in the bullpen are open.

Camp and Carlson, based on their performances last season have the inside track on two spots. Purcey has impressed while making the transition from starter to long reliever. Roenicke, who came over from the Reds in the Scott Rolen trade last July, has options and will likely start the season in Triple-A. For whatever reason, Accardo remains on the fringes. He was a forgotten man for most of last season, and it appears that the best option for him personally might be with another organization.

Janssen might be best served going to AAA and being one of the first recalled when injuries or poor performances occur. Valdez and Eveland are interesting cases. Both are out of options so they would have to be exposed to waivers before they could be sent to Las Vegas. Valdez was acquired for cash considerations from the Giants in January and has 67 games of experience during his Major League career.

Eveland has definitely turned some heads this spring, and there’s a chance that he may end up in the starting rotation when the final roster is declared after the final two games of spring training this weekend in Houston. The team wanted to get a good look at the left-hander and he hasn’t disappointed. His 22 innings of work through Monday is a team-high and his sparkling 1.23 ERA puts him right in the mix.

Eveland’s fate looks to be tied to how Brandon Morrow, expected to be the number three starter, comes around after missing a couple of spring starts due to shoulder soreness. He had a 52-pitch outing in a simulated game on Monday and, barring a setback, will start on Saturday in Houston. If all goes well, Morrow should then be ready to make his Blue Jays debut in the second series of the regular season in Baltimore.

It will also be interesting to see what the team does with a pair of young left-handers who finished out 2009 with varying levels of success with the Jays. Marc Rzepczynski and Brett Cecil were definitely in the team’s plans at the start of camp, but starting the season with Las Vegas would not be a bad thing. With the Jays not expected to contend this season, perhaps a strong AAA season might best for the youngsters in the bigger picture. That way, they can get in steady work and be ready should they get the call at some point this season. Plus the team can also slow down their service time clock which is never a bad thing when it comes to arbitration.

Let’s face it; the injury bug has bit this team hard over the last couple of years. Last season, the Jays used 24 different pitchers, with 12 of them making starts. The pitching staff at the beginning of the season is never the same at the end. So having as many Major League-ready arms in Toronto and in Las Vegas as possible is a must. It appears that is the case.

JAYS ON TV THIS WEEKEND

Make sure you tune in this Friday night as the Jays make their spring TV debut on Rogers Sportsnet. Buck Martinez returns to the booth calling play-by-play and he’ll be joined by Pat Tabler. Game time from Minute Maid Park in Houston is 8:00 pm ET on Sportsnet East and Ontario. I personally can’t wait to get back into the booth. Nothing against doing hockey telecasts, which I’ve done all winter, but I’m a baseball guy first and foremost.