Darren Oliver is coming back.  Here is the Blue Jays announcement:

LHP DARREN OLIVER will return to the TORONTO BLUE JAYS for a 20th Major League season and second in a Blue Jays uniform after his US $3.0 million was exercised for the 2013 season.

OLIVER, 42, posted the lowest ERA of his career in 2012 with a 2.06 mark, which was the 3rd lowest mark in the AL with a minimum of 50 innings pitched. The Kansas City, Missouri native has now held opponents to a .237 average over his past seven seasons to go with a 2.86 ERA over that span. The left-hander has not posted a single season ERA above 3.00 since the 2007 season. The former 3rd round pick of the Texas Rangers in 1988, Oliver has played for nine teams in his career, including Texas on three separate occasions. In 716 career games, including 229 starts, the 19-year veteran has posted a 115-94 record with a 4.53 ERA

Yeah, it is a quiet time right now.  Colby Rasmus signs for another year, avoiding arbitration.  Adam Loewen signs up for another tour of the Jays minor leagues. 

The stars have aligned and Anders, Alex, Thomas, and I all happen to be around at the same time. So we recorded a Boxcast! We talked about what's wrong with the HOF voting process and a little bit about how to fix it, and then some Jays stuff: Dickey, personalities on the team, bullpen. The whole thing runs about 35 minutes.

Subscribe here. Listen here.

No one made it, just like 1996 except this time it wasn't due to a lack of talented players.

The Jays have a full staff in the minors again with a few names we have heard of before.  From Tim Raines to Stubby Clapp.

From inimitable Friend of Batter's Box Jamey Newberg's Newberg Report:

"The Rangers have signed free agent righthander Jason Frasor to a one-year deal, reported by Jon Heyman (CBS Sports) to be worth a mere $1.5 million....

 

Ohhkay .... so it's been an awfully long time since we created and published a Hall oF Names team here on Batter's Box. It's about time we changed that, hey? And no better reason to change up than to notice the adoration and adulation bestowed upon the greatness of a former Blue Jay second baseman in the recent Top Seasons In Jays History thread.

So now, all-Alomar ... no, wait, that wouldn't really work. There have only been three Alomars to play big league ball, all part of the same family (two generations), Roberto and the two Sandys ... so we'd cover the middle infield and behind the plate, often the toughest positions to fill on the field, but the rest of the diamond would be bare.  So let's honor Robbie Alomar instead with an All-Roberto Hall of Names team.  There have been two Hall of Famers (including Alomar himself, of course) and five additional All-Stars, so talent should be pretty ample.  Let's see ....

Now that we are deep into the offseason and dreaming of the future, lets see how the Jays have done at various positions in the past and who has had the most amazing season by various measures.  Also do any of our new players have a shot at breaking these records?

In honour of the Christmas gifts bestowed upon us by the front office of the Toronto Blue Jays, enjoy this brand new photograph from your pal NFH:

Here's the original image on Instagram.

That's a 1993 Back To Back AL East Champions mug. The subsequent 19 years worth of washes has faded it slightly. Here's hoping that next Christmas I'll have a new one.

Four times in franchise history, the Blue Jays have had the best starting pitching in the American League. I propose to look at those four starting rotations.

The Jays have completed their trade with the Mets. The Jays acquire RA Dickey, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas in exchange for Travis d'Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, John Buck and Wuilmer Becerra. My contention is that AA lost his Ninja status with this trade.

The trade is now official. The Jays received RA Dickey, Josh Thole and journeyman Canadian catcher Mike Nickeas in exchange for Travis d'Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, John Buck and Wuilmer Becerra. We have a poll up and running on the left. But the poll is anonymous. It's time to go on the record.

Today's POTD brings you on to the field of Nat Bailey Stadium with a special prize at the end.

Anyone who has hung out in section 518 with me can tell you that I can yell. I've always had good control of my voice, but a high school drama teacher taught me about my optimum pitch and altered the way I speak forever.

I thought nothing would ever again change the way I speak in such an extreme way. I was wrong.

Well it certainaly seems that this Dickey thing has legs. Usually when you hear that the Jays are in on a deal it doesn't happen but there are leaks on this like a rusty tea pot. What a coincidence that JP Ricciardi is in New York now. Could it be that JP is saying I'll see you your cone of silence and raise you a wall of coverage? Or it could be that the Mets are trying to persuade other teams to get into the negotiations.

The news this morning suggests the outline of a deal is in place and that each team is reviewing medicals. If that is true an announcement could come today sometime.