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Last year, after a season of win at home and be terrible on the road, Hutchison made one last memorable start at Rogers Centre for the Jays. It came against the Yankees on a Sunday afternoon, with the Jays trailing the Yanks by a game and a half. Toronto had lost the first two games against New York. The game was hugely important.

Hutchison had a terrific outing. And that was it. He was later shuffled aside, first to the bullpen, off the playoff roster, now to AAA Buffalo.

And he’s only 25.

“This year, it’s a good year,” Gibbons said of most of the decision making. “We have the personnel in place. Now we’re just identifying their roles. It’s not like we’re cutting a lot of guys.”

Hutchison, that was the hard one. “That was tough,” said Gibbons.

The meeting with Gavin Floyd was short and typical. First there was the handshake and the official news he had made the team. Then the second part: Instead of being a starting pitcher, which he has been for most of his big league career, he’s going to start the season as a long reliever. The only thing that might change that is if Marco Estrada isn’t healthy enough to begin the season on the 25-man roster.

Floyd is the sixth starter on a team that will only use five. He showed enough in 12.1 Grapefruit innings to earn a spot as a depth player. He came here wanting to start: Early morning, Gibbons had to tell him that he might eventually start here, he just doesn’t know when.

The third Gibbons meeting was the kind that makes a manager smile. Telling the kid with all the credentials that there is finally a place for him. The place he wants. Aaron Sanchez didn’t exactly hide his excitement as he all but skipped out of the manager’s office and over the next several minutes proceeded to high five just about everybody in sight.