Filed under: Blue Jays

One could not blame Cito Gaston, with the Blue Jays not in contention for the playoffs, if his mind occasionally wandered to thoughts of the Irish countryside, South African safaris or Sydney harbor.

But as the end of his managerial career approaches, Gaston claims no twinges of wistfulness nor sentimentality — “So far I haven’t,” he told FanHouse last week.

There are indications Toronto will name its next manager within days of the season’s end. Third-base coach Brian Butterfield deserves consideration — if passed over, he could wind up coaching third in Baltimore for Buck Showalter, with whom he worked in New York and Arizona — as does Yankees third-base coach and native Ontarian Rob Thomson. Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale is thought to be on Toronto’s list as well.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos said he hasn’t had the managerial search on the front burner until now and wouldn’t comment on candidates or timing.

“I’m just going to let the process play out,” he said. “It’s an important decision, and it can’t be rushed. I think the timeline will determine itself.”

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