Cito’s staying put

For those who were hoping there might be some new blood in the Blue Jays manager’s office next year, you’re going to have to hold your breath for yet another season.

Sportsnet has confirmed that Cito Gaston will serve out his final year as the manager for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010. Following the end of the 2010 season, Cito will retire and remain on with the club as a consultant for the next four years.

News of Cito’s comes on the heels of the announcement that Brad Arnsberg has accepted a position with the Houston Astros as their pitching coach. I’m still undecided as to what move will affect this team more – Arnsberg’s departure or Cito’s survival as manager.


ADVERTISEMENT

So what does this all mean? Basically this move assures that Kevin Millar will be their full-time cleanup hitter next season, Randy Ruiz will be on the 25-man roster but spend all 162 games on the bench, and Jesse Carlson will pitch in almost every single game.

For a baseball franchise that’s trying to turn over a new leaf with a new General manger and a new-ish President and CEO, this move feels counter-productive and merely puts the team in limbo until the 2011 season.

Even if the Blue Jays bump the payroll up to $120 million, what’s the point if the coach is liable to not use those new players in the right manner?

Rogers can spend all the money they want on this team in 2010, but it seems like the money that will go towards free agents might just end up going to waste anyway.

Ian Hunter

Ian has been writing about the Toronto Blue Jays since 2007. He enjoyed the tail-end of the Roy Halladay era and vividly remembers the Alex Rodriguez "mine" incident. He'll also retell the story of Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS to his kids for the next 20 years.

6 thoughts on “Cito’s staying put

  • October 31, 2009 at 12:27 am
    Permalink

    Is it even worth it for me to drop an "FML" on you here? I will anyways.

    FML.

  • October 31, 2009 at 1:55 am
    Permalink

    I feel your pain, guys.

    Ack, it's funny you mention that because the very first thing I did when I found out about Cito was I posted "FML" on Drunk Jays Fans. Sounds like we're all in the same boat on this one. Here's looking forward to 2011!

  • October 31, 2009 at 3:28 pm
    Permalink

    There just has to be more to this move. Don't ask me what it's just that it seems like such a backward move so early in AA's tenure that there just must be something else going on that we can't see. Like Cito intentionally managed like he did because he hated JP or something. Please let ther be some reason for this.

  • November 2, 2009 at 2:27 am
    Permalink

    It all does seem a little strange doesn't it? After everything that happened at the end of the season, the entire uproar was about Cito and yet he still has his job but J.P. is gone.

    The timing of it all and the way it went down doesn't make any sense – yet again, sometimes not a lot of what happens in this organization does.

  • November 2, 2009 at 11:58 pm
    Permalink

    True. You make a good point. Supposedly we get to hear what The Plan is this week. I'm curious but I'm assuming it's rebuilding time.

Comments are closed.