DUNEDIN, Fla. -- While Rod Barajas clearly has established himself as the Blue Jays' No. 1 catcher, there is no clear frontrunner for the backup position.
Curtis Thigpen, Raul Chavez and Michael Barrett are in the running for the No. 2 spot and each brings something to the competition.
"You have to ask yourself what is the best combination," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "Thigpen is a good receiver and a good athlete. You can play him at different positions. We might be able to move him around, make a super-utility guy out of him.
"Chavez is the best defensive guy and we're pleased with what we've seen of Barrett."
Top prospect J.P. Arencibia is going to go to Las Vegas as the No. 1 at triple-A. Brian Jerolman, already an accomplished defensive catcher, is going to double-A New Hampshire as the No. 1 there.
Ricciardi also said the Jays kicked the tires on Pudge Rodriguez, but couldn't match what the Astros were offering. Rodriguez signed for a guaranteed $1.5 million plus an additional $1.5 million in reachable bonuses.
"We might have been able to come close on the base salary, but we couldn't match the bonus money," Ricciardi said.
No test for Wells
Vernon Wells made his season debut in centre field yesterday and, as it turned out, could have done it all from the bench.
Wells, who got his first hit of the spring (a single) in the 9-7 Houston win, didn't have a single opportunity to touch a ball in the field, which was just fine with him.
"I'd take that all season," he said.
Wells, coming back from a chronic hamstring injury, showed no ill-effects, scampering first to third in the fourth inning on a single.
Roy roughed up
Roy Halladay had a rare rough patch in the sixth inning, allowing six hits and five runs, including a three-run homer by Houston prospect Edwin Maysonet. It was Maysonet's second homer of the game. He followed up by hitting a triple off Scott Downs in the eighth inning, giving him five RBI for the day. Halladay had allowed only three hits and one run going into the sixth.
"He just got the ball up a little bit," manager Cito Gaston said. "No big deal."
Downs, making his spring debut, got roughed up with two hits, a walk and three earned runs.
