It was still too early in the morning to call his agent, so Joey Gathright packed his things, accepted a few solemn handshakes and wandered out of the clubhouse without knowing exactly where he was headed after being released by the Toronto Blue Jays.
"I'm lost," he said. "I've never been released, so I don't know what the next step is."
The 28-year-old outfielder was one of three players sent packing Sunday morning as the Blue Jays trimmed their roster heading into the final week of spring training. Infielder Brad Emaus and outfielder Chris Lubanski were re-assigned to the minors.
Toronto has 36 players left in camp, and general manager Alex Anthopoulos is aiming to have his opening day roster set by the time the team leaves Florida for a two-game pre-season finale in Houston beginning on Friday. The Blue Jays will open the regular season on the road three days later against the Texas Rangers.
"You always want to do it sooner rather than later, because lives hang in the balance and players are on pins and needles," Anthopoulos said. "We know it's a tough time for them. At the same time, we need to take as much time as we can to make the right decisions and explore all our options."
Speaking outside the clubhouse hours before rain washed out Toronto's exhibition game with the Baltimore Orioles, Anthopoulos suggested he was in for a busy week. With only a week left until the real games begin, teams will be faced with a series of difficult roster moves, he said, though he rated most current trade discussions as being of the "minor variety."
The Blue Jays will not be exempt from having to make difficult choices, even in a year when they are expected to fill one of the last two places in the AL East division standings. Only three of the 36 bodies remaining in camp are on the DL, and the team will have to get down to 25 men for opening day.
Pitcher Brandon Morrow is scheduled to throw for three innings in a minor league game on Monday after dealing with soreness in his right shoulder. He will be evaluated after the game, and his health could go some distance in solidifying the team's starting rotation, which is still uncertain below Shaun Marcum and Ricky Romero, the No. 1 and No. 2 starters.
Morrow had been projected as No. 3, with Marc Rzepczynski and Brian Tallet filling out the rest of the staff. Manager Cito Gaston has suggested Tallet could pitch in the team's first series of the year - a three-game set in Texas - and has on more than one occasion praised off-season acquisition Dana Eveland.
There are more questions out in the field, where outfielder Jeremy Reed and utility man Mike McCoy appear to be locked in a battle for one spot. Reed continued his strong spring training with a spectacular outfield catch against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, but McCoy's speed and versatility have won him support.
"He's an excellent little player," Gaston said. "We still haven't said 'yes' to him, but he certainly has a good chance."
Gathright had a good chance when he landed in camp, but lost it when he was betrayed by his bat. He went hitless in five at-bats in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, and followed that performance with another hitless game against the Pirates, reducing his spring average to a paltry .167.
"Like I told him in the room, I said, 'Joey, when we brought you in, it wasn't to help us win the Pacific Coast League championship in Las Vegas, it was to try to win a spot on this team," Anthopoulos said. "And with the way spring has gone, the way our depth chart is starting to look right now - even in the minor leagues - he'd probably be pretty far down in the outfield depth charts in terms of call-ups."
Gathright had anticipated a call from management, but never thought that call would end in his release. The Blue Jays represent the 13th stop in his eight-year professional baseball career, and he was willing to accept a move to the team's triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.
"You kind of expect something bad to happen, but not this," Gathright said. "I can understand where the team is coming from. I had a very, very bad spring, hitting-wise, so you've got to do what you've got to do. A lot of guys are having good springs, so you've got to give those guys an opportunity."
He was thinking about heading to New Orleans, where his parents live. He was less certain about his job prospects.
"I'm not mad, I'm not bitter," Gathright said. "It's completely understandable."