Baseball America
By Larry Millson
June 15, 2009

[Editor's Note: Brett Cecil was an All-League pitcher for the Silver Spring-Takoma T-Bolts in 2005.]

TORONTO, Ont. --- Brett Cecil was given the starting assignment for the Blue Jays' first Grapefruit League game in February as the 22-year-old lefthander began the season as the organization's top pitching prospect.

But it did not take long before he found himself back at minor league camp instead of contending for a spot in the major league rotation and he opened the season at Triple-A Las Vegas.

His numbers weren't impressive there --- 0-3, 8.31 in 17 innings --- but he was called up regardless on May 1 due to injuries and poor performances by others. Cecil did impress in his debut, limiting the Indians to one run on six hits in six innings while striking out six and walking none. He took a no-decision, but won his next two starts, by combining to yield three earned runs over 14 innings against the Athletics and White Sox.

''He's a kid I liked in spring training,'' Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. ''He didn't pitch well. But I knew he had four different pitches that he can command.''

Cecil, along with Robert Ray (who also was promoted) both pitched so well that lefthander Ricky Romero was assigned to Triple-A after he came off the DL.

Romero had emerged as a late-spring training candidate for a starting role and seized it, going 2-0, 1.71 in three starts, before straining an oblique muscle by sneezing. Lefthander David Purcey, who opened the season in the major league rotation, continues in Triple-A.

It is an example of the pitching depth the organization has shown this season.

''We feel like we've got a real good system,'' general manager JP Ricciardi said. ''We have a lot of depth that, ultimately, it's going to be a good rotation. We're just going through this phase now of figuring out, 'What's the best five?'''

Cecil was 2-1, 4.38 after his first four major league starts and it was decided he had earned a chance to keep pitching in the majors.

Copyright 2009. Baseball America.