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Who follows Cito?

Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos wants to clarify a recent report that he has "200 names'' under consideration to replace outgoing manager Cito Gaston.

After an initial mass sweep of the landscape to get a handle on possible managers and coaches, the Blue Jays quickly culled their list to a much more manageable number. Anthopoulos is 33 years old and doesn't have the same long-term network as Jim Hendry, Ned Colletti and other veteran GMs, so he might have to do a little more upfront leg work.

"We did a scan through the 29 other organizations in the minor and major leagues,'' Anthopoulos said. "And then, in one hour, we were able to eliminate a lot of those names.''

What names remain? Internally, the team is likely to interview coaches Nick Leyva and Brian Butterfield. Gaston has put in a word for Juan Samuel and Don Baylor, and the Jays like what they've seen from Double-A manager Luis Rivera and minor league infield coach Mike Mordecai -- although both men could probably use more time.

If one team in the managerial market is going to act boldly and try to unearth the next Joe Maddon, Toronto looks like the best bet. Ron Roenicke, Randy Ready, Torey Lovullo and other bright, respected candidates in search of an opportunity might want to send in their résumés.