Jays Bullpen Nearly Set with Oliver Signing

On Monday, the Jays spent $4 million on a 41-year old reliever whose rookie season coincided with the club’s last World Series championship. In the same transaction, they also picked up a reliable late inning guy who has reached the postseason in each of the last five years and has seen his ERA drop in each of those previous five. How you feel about the signing of Darren Oliver depends highly upon which of the above facts stands out more significantly to you. Is the former Ranger an old guy who is duping Alex Anthopoulos into believing in some kind of late-career resurgence, or is he a veteran pitcher who has figured out a way to re-invent himself? The Jays, obviously, are betting on the former – and it’s a pricey bet. Believe it or not, Oliver represents the most expensive free agent pick-up that Anthopoulos has made since taking on the GM role. While it’s hard to ignore the fact that the $4 million offer (and to a lesser extent, the $3 million club option for 2013) was made possib...