TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips answers three questions each week. This week, topics cover Ricky Romeros future with the Blue Jays, the quality of Torontos starting rotation, and the value of MLBs games in Australia to start the season. 1) After a very rough outing on Tuesday, the Blue Jays sent Ricky Romero to minor league camp. Does Romero need a change of scenery at this point, or do you think hes lost it? Ricky Romero entered Tuesdays game having pitched well this spring. He had a 1.29 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in seven innings. But his implosion on Tuesday in which he walked five, threw two wild pitches and hit a batter effectively imploded his Blue Jays career. That one inning in which he gave up three runs showed the return of the "thing." What is the "thing" you ask? It is the inability to throw a baseball where one wants to throw it. It is a voice in a pitchers head that says, "You are in trouble. You have no idea how hard to grip the ball or when to release it." It is a voice that forces a pitcher to think about throwing instead of just doing what comes naturally. The pitcher feels like he has to aim the ball. Romero looked like he had quieted that voice for a while. He was a little better at triple-A last year than he had been in the big leagues in 2012. This spring, before Tuesday, that voice was but a whisper. Unfortunately once a pitcher hears the voice he is susceptible to it coming back. One wild pitch or one hit batter and boom, there it is again. That voice that can make even the strongest of pitchers start to doubt themselves. On Tuesday that voice screamed into a megaphone and Romero couldnt quiet it. So he heads back to double-A hoping to plug his ears. The Jays need to do the merciful thing and trade or release Romero. There are just too many things that can trigger the negative thoughts and the increased volume of the doubts as a member of the Jays. He may find a way to quiet the noise in another organization but it wont happen in a Jays uniform. 2) While most observers agree that the Jays have enough hitting, do you think they can get enough from the back end of their rotation to be competitive for a playoff spot this season? Spring Training is great because every team has hope as they prepare for the upcoming season. Last year is forgotten, as the standings and all of the stats are wiped clean and there is a fresh start. The rosters are changed in large and small ways. Maybe even general managers, managers and coaches have changed. However, some things never change. Good pitching is the key to success. Very rarely do great offensive teams win despite their pitching. Far more often teams win with marginal offence and a great pitching staff. We know the Jays are going to score a bunch of runs but their success will be driven by the arms of the pitchers and not by the bats in the lineup. Even though we wipe the slate clean from a year ago and start anew, last season can give us a perspective on what it will take to win this year. There were ten teams that made the playoffs in 2013: Dodgers, Cardinals, Pirates, Braves and Reds in the NL; and Tigers, Red Sox, As, Indians and Rays in the AL. One thing they almost all had in common was successful starting pitching. In fact the average record of their stating rotations last season was 68-47 and 976 innings pitched. Their starters pitched well and deep in the games. The Blue Jays starters had a 46-57 record in 2013 and threw only 899 innings. Clearly, a long way away from a playoff-caliber rotation. So, although it is fair to wonder whether the Jays have enough pitching at the back end of the rotation the greater question is do they have enough at the front end? There is no doubt that if the Jays are going to be a playoff team they will need J.A. Happ to be healthy and throw strikes and they will need production from all of Todd Redmond, Drew Hutchison, Marcus Stroman, Kyle Drabek and Esmil Rogers. Every team needs anywhere from 16-20 pitchers to contribute during the season. There are certainly questions about what is fair to expect from the pitchers just mentioned but make no mistake about it the bigger question is whether R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and the oft-injured Brandon Morrow can do their part. Most playoff teams have four starters that reach double-digit wins. With the questions at the back end of the rotation the Jays really need close to 50 wins from their Big Three. Last season only Dickey (14 wins) and Buehrle (12 wins) won double-digit games. Needless to say the Jays rotation has their work cut out for themselves. 3) Dodgers starter Zack Greinke stated he wasnt a fan of the club opening the regular season early (this weekend) in Australia. Do you think the MLB brand really benefits from these games? Not only does the MLB brand benefit from playing regular season games internationally but so does the brand of the teams participating and the brand of the players on the teams. My 2000 New York Mets team started the season in Japan against the Chicago Cubs. Just like the Dodgers and D-Backs are doing on the trip to Australia we played exhibition games, held clinics and made appearances to promote the games before we took on the Cubs in a two-game series. It was a long flight and we battled jet lag for about a week on the back end of the trip. But it was worth it. Sure there were challenges but I considered it an honour to represent Major League Baseball. Plus, on international trips, players and executives are treated like royalty. Zack Greinke sounded ignorant and ungrateful. Almost 50 percent of minor league players are foreign-born players. Over 25 percent of big leaguers are foreign-born and almost 37 percent of the 2013 All-Stars are foreign born. Baseball is an international game. It is critical that MLB continues to develop and grow its brand. From a clubs perspective I always believed there was an advantage to play in front of international fans. Brand recognition for the team is financially beneficial for potential sponsorship deals as well as merchandising. But most importantly, brand recognition among baseball players in other countries is huge. The more professional and amateur players can recognize and connect with the brand of a team the better the chances of that team in landing talented players in the future. Individual clubs and players dont only have a responsibility to their own organization but they have a responsibility to the game itself. Many players, teams and executives have gone before those of us benefiting today from this extraordinary way to make a living. Todays players need to pay it forward just like those who paved the trail for them. Opening Day is Saturday at 4am ET. I will be watching. Will you? So you want to be a GM? The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray...what is a general manager to do? I find myself sympathizing with general managers all around the game. There seem to be so many injuries this spring that have the potential to cripple teams even before the season begins. Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy of the Braves, Patrick Corbin of the D-Backs, and Jarrod Parker of the As are all headed for Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season. The Tigers young shortstop Jose Iglesias, a defensive wizard, is out for months with stress fractures in his shins. Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was drilled in the face by a line drive and needs a plate put in his head and could be out until June. There is no telling how he will be affected mentally by this injury. The Braves, As, Tigers and Reds all made the playoffs last year. I would have predicted all four to make the playoffs again this year prior to these injuries. The D-Backs were a sleeper team in the NL this year prior to losing their best pitcher in Corbin. So what should the GMs do? They will just do what they do. Frank Wren, the Braves GM, moved quickly and stole Ervin Santana away from the Jays and Orioles. But that may not be enough. Kevin Towers, the Diamondbacks general manager, pushed all winter to land an ace starter but came up short settling for veteran Bronson Arroyo. That pushed Patrick Corbin into the role of Opening Day starter for a team built to win now with the highest payroll in franchise history. With Corbin out for the season and no obvious starting pitching available Arizona may have to go with kids in the fifth spot in the rotation. This will not only hurt the rotation but the bullpen as well since Corbin was a guy who would often pitch deep in the game. The Reds could not have foreseen the injury to Chapman. His loss though creates a real problem as the physical status of his two most experienced replacements, Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton, is a big issue. The Reds bullpen could be a mess at the start of the season. There are no closers available on the trade market. Saves blown in April and May could cost the Reds an October playoff berth. The Tigers have been a staple of October baseball the past few years. They were once again favoured to win the AL Central. Last August the Tigers acquired Jose Iglesias to be the shortstop for the next 10 years. But that plan included him to be the shortstop this year that is in a "win now" window for the franchise. Stephen Drew, the Red Sox shortstop a year ago, is still available. Scott Boras has had success getting to owner Mike Illitch in the past and making deals. The Tigers have no good internal option to replace Iglesias and my ultimately save Boras by having to make a deal with Drew. But a Drew signing wont come cheap and will include the Tigers giving up a first round draft pick. So you want to be a general manger. There is no manual that tells you what to do when you have done everything right but circumstances turn against you. It is a long season and these teams have time to plug their newfound holes but it wont be easy. In one week that has been full of injuries the playoff races opened up in a very significant way. No one said life was fair. China Jerseys Wholesale . Off-season additions Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley did not train with the club today, prompting Nelsen to declare its too early to tell if either will be ready for Saturday. Cheap Jerseys From China . The Argentine midfielder made the announcement himself on Twitter on Tuesday and posted a picture of his swollen left foot. His message said he would be out "at least three weeks. https://www.chinajerseyscheap.us/. -- Theres been so much talk about Mike Moustakas at the plate that the third baseman ignored the conversation Wednesday -- even after doing something positive. China Jerseys Stitched . "Theyve been good against everybody," he said. Carlos Gomez launched a three-run homer and Matt Garza battled into the seventh inning for his first win in four starts to help the Brewers continue their mastery of the Rockies with a 7-4 victory Saturday. China Jerseys Cheap . He says he will have the operation Wednesday and be ready in time for training camp in September. Bernier missed five games in March due to the injury.BROSSARD, Que. -- The tight games and nastiness between old rivals Montreal and Boston is coming to a Game 7 climax. The best-of-seven NHL Eastern Conference semifinal has the Canadiens and Bruins tied 3-3 going into a final showdown in Boston on Wednesday night. Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 690 and TSN.ca/Montreal. The Canadiens staved off elimination by using a high-tempo approach for a 4-0 victory in Game 6 on Monday night in Montreal. And while much of the attention has been on disrespectful words, gestures and the odd spear to the groin area, Canadiens veteran Daniel Briere feels his team will have to stick to fast-paced hockey for any chance to topple the leagues first-place overall team. "You cant beat the Bruins playing like the Bruins," Briere said Tuesday. "I think theyre probably the best at (physical hockey). "We have to be smarter. Well have to take punches. Well have to take slashes. Well have to get hurt at times. Thats when were most successful, when we dont get into their game." Its likely that neither side will want to risk penalties in a Game 7 that will send one team on vacation and the other to the conference final, unless the score gets out of hand for one team or the other. But Boston was abuzz with remarks made by Montreals flashy defence ace P.K. Subban after Game 6, in which the teams playoff scoring leader said the TD Garden crowd will provide plenty of energy for the Bruins and "I cant wait to take that all away from them." Subban, who has 12 points in 10 games, also said he gave no credit to the Boston crowd that boos him regularly for making him play better, adding: "I play to win. I dont care if theres nobody in the stands." Briere said Subban, who turned 25 on Tuesday, has learned to thrive on playing the villain in opposing teams rinks. "Lets face it, most of the buildings we go into hes kind of the target," said Briere. "He sticks out. "Hes flashy. He plays with an edge. Hes one of our best players, so he attracts the boos on the road. I think P.K. has become even better as the season went on at dealing with that and using it to his advantage. "Other than screaming at us, theres not much else they can do. If at the end of the night we win, theyre probably going to be very quiet walking home. That would be the ultimate reward for us." The Canadiens and Bruins are facing each other in the playoffs for a record 34th time and this will be their record ninth Game 7. Montreal has won five of them, but the Bruins took the last one on April 27, 2011, when Subban scored the tying goal but Nathan Horrton got the overtime winner in a 4-3 Boston victory.dddddddddddd Subban scored in overtime in the series opener last week in Boston, and scored on a power play in Game 5 in Boston as the Canadiens mounted a late surge before falling 4-2. The series has seen spears to the groin from both sides, including Andrei Markovs jab at Boston captain Zdeno Chara late in Game 6. In the previous game, the Bruins Shawn Thornton was fined for squirting water into Subbans visor from the bench. Boston bruiser Milan Lucic caused a stir with a display of muscle flexing, only to have Montreals Dale Weise do it back to him. "Theres a lot of that going on with their team, their players, even their fans," said Montreal forward Brandon Prust. "They can throw as much disrespect as they want. "It doesnt really bother us at all. That was just (Weise) giving a little bit back and mocking them a little bit. Its not a big deal." Prust does not expect fireworks. "If it was the regular season, Im sure it would carry over, but this is Game 7," he said. "What are we going to do? Go out there and slash them and punch them in the head, take stupid penalties? "Not at all. Well focus on winning a hockey game and not taking dumb penalties." The Canadiens stayed alive with what coach Michel Therrien called their best game of the playoffs so far. He saw Max Pacioretty, with a goal and an assist, and Thomas Vanek, with two goals, deliver the points expected of top-line players. He also got a 26-save shutout from a highly focused Carey Price. And his move to replace slow-footed Douglas Murray with skilled and quick-skating rookie Nathan Beaulieu worked to perfection as the 21-year-old was plus-2 in limited ice time. "We played a hell of a game," said Therrien. "The only thing weve got to do is reset, refocus and make sure weve got another good game (on Wednesday)." The Canadiens have not been to a conference final since 2010, when goalie Jaroslav Halak backstopped them to upsets of Washington and Pittsburgh before they fell to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Bruins hope to reach the conference final for the third time in four years. They won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and lost in the final to Chicago last spring. "Weve felt confident all series against these guys," said Montreal captain Brian Gionta. "(Monday) night was definitely a great effort, but weve had efforts like that already in this series. "The hope is to go in there and have that same effort. And hopefully, the pressures on them." ' ' '