Happ unhappy with Blue Jays bullpen role J.A. Happ pitched in Philadelphia's rotation, and Houston's but no matter how well he pitches this spring, nor how mightily Ricky Romero struggles, Toronto manager John Gibbons is staying true to Romero. "He's our guy," Gibbons said on Friday, before Romero struggled with his control one more time, allowing three runs in three innings to the Detroit Tigers. Happ, presently the sixth man in a five-man rotation, pitches against Baltimore's split squad at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium on Saturday afternoon. After his last spring outing, Happ was asked if he'd be comfortable settling for a role in the bullpen. "I'm a Major League starting pitcher," he said. Let's leave it at that. Romero needs to rebuild his confidence in spring training, after enduring 14 losses last season. Gibbons is supporting, rather than intimidating him by suggesting Happ has a shot at his spot. "[Happ] knows what the situation is," Gibbons said, Saturday morning. I don't expect him to be happy with it. The question is, how long will the Jays stay with Romero if he starts the season slowly as the fifth pitcher in the rotation? Happ is 35-35 over a span of six seasons, including a 12-4/2.93 ERA performance for the Phillies in 2009. The Blue Jays obtained him in a trade last July and he made six starts, appearing 10 times overall. A left-hander like Romero, Happ could start the season at Triple-A Buffalo or in the Jays bullpen. The advantage of placing him in Buffalo would be to keep his arm stretched out, easing the transition back into the Jays rotation. Toronto also needs a long man in the bullpen and Gibbons is hoping Jeremy Jeffress fills that role. The Royals gave up on the hard throwing righthander, selling him to the Jays for cash this off-season. "He coming into his own," said Gibbons. He's got the stuff. He could be a great starter or a top-notch reliever. He's got that kind of arm. Jeffress, 25, spent most of the 2012 season at the AA and AAA levels of the minor leagues as a reliever, going 5-4 with a 4.85 ERA. He had a 6.75 ERA with the Royals in 13 appearances, with a 2.46 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched). He's out of options, meaning the Jays would have to expose him to other clubs before assigning him to Buffalo.