Farrell to manage Blue Jays

Farrell, 48, replaces Cito Gaston, who retired after this season. The Blue Jays were 85-77 in 2010. Gaston managed the Blue Jays from 1989-97 and 2008-10.

Farrell has never been a manager on any level of baseball. Prior to his four-season stint as the Boston pitching coach he was Cleveland's director of player development from November 2001 through the 2006 season.

He was a major league pitcher from 1987-96, pitching for Cleveland, the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit. After he retired as a player, he spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State.

"This is an outstanding opportunity," Farrell said on the club's Web site. "To see both sides of it [front office and dugout] has given me more of a rounded perspective in ultimately to be able to handle the players day-in and day-out in Toronto."

Gaston, who also managed at Atlanta, San Diego and Pittsburgh had a combined record of 894-837 over parts of 12 seasons. His Toronto teams in 1992 and 1993 won back-to-back World Series titles.

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