Gaston Says His Days Are Numbered

Cito Gaston, who guided the Toronto Blue Jays to back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, expects to be fired at the end of the season.

“I think I’m out of here,” Gaston said before the Blue Jays lost to the Oakland A’s, 8-7, on Wednesday. “I hear the new owners want to make a change. But if they make a change, that’s fine.”

The Blue Jays are in the process of being sold from Interbrew S.A., a Belgian brewer, to a Toronto group headed by real estate developer Murray Frum.

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Paul Molitor, a member of baseball’s 3,000-hit club, is considering joining a new team next season if he’s not happy with the Minnesota Twins’ direction in 1998.

Molitor has met twice in recent weeks with team owner Carl Pohlad to talk about his future. Pohlad has tried to make sure that Molitor, 41, stays with the organization in some capacity.

Molitor has three options: activate his option to play one more year with the Twins for $2.75 million; retire, or become a free agent and sign with another team.

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Toronto right-hander Juan Guzman, who has been sidelined since July 16, underwent surgery to remove bone spurs and repair a torn muscle in his right shoulder.

Guzman is expected to begin rehabilitation exercises in four or six weeks. He was 3-6 with a 4.95 earned-run average in just 13 starts this season.