8. Ricky Romero, lhp Born: Nov. 6, 1984 B-T: R-L Ht: 6-1 Wt: 200 Drafted: Cal State Fullerton, 2005 (1st round). Signed by: Demerius Pittman. Background: Late bloomer or bust? That's the question surrounding Romero, whom the Blue Jays selected sixth overall in 2005 and signed for a club-record $2.4 million. He has spent the bulk of the past three seasons in Double-A and been passed by several lefties in the system. Strengths: Romero may not be ace he was in college, but his stuff still will play in the big leagues if he throws more strikes with it. He pitches at 91-92 mph and touches 94, but he struggles to command his fastball for strikes. His power curveball usually arrives in the high 70s and features sharp downward break, while his power changeup has enough separation and sink to fool batters. Weaknesses: Romero is best suited by pitching to spots and keeping batters off balance instead of trying to overpower them. He had some success in Triple-A when he emphasized his high-80s two-seamer, a slower version of his curve and a fringy slider, though he still needs to cut down on his walks. He sometimes telegraphs his breaking pitches by altering his arm slot. The Future: Romero still needs to show more consistency to reach his ceiling as a No. 3 or 4 starter. Expected to be placed on the 40-man roster this offseason, he'll return to Triple-A to begin 2009. --

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