Source: Darren Oliver close to deal with Toronto  —  The Rangers' month-long negotiating period with Yu Darvish - and the hefty investment it will require to sign the Japanese right-hander - does come with a price tag.  —  It appears it has cost them the opportunity to bring Darren Oliver back to the bullpen.

Ranking the top 10 outfields in MLB  —  In Part 4 of his series looking ahead to the 2012 season, Buster Olney ranks the 10 best outfields in Major League Baseball.  The Arizona Diamondbacks claim the No. 1 spot.

St. Louisian Don Mueller, former big-league star, dies  —  Image  —  St. Louisan Don Mueller, who led the majors in hits in 1954 and roamed the outfield with Willie Mays of the New York Giants, died on Wednesday.  He was 84.  —  Mueller, a native St. Louisan who played at CBC …

Sources: Pujols altered deal to help land Wilson  —  Albert Pujols was on the receiving end of one of the most lucrative contracts in professional sports history when he agreed with the Los Angeles Angels on a 10-year deal for about $250 million earlier this month.

Confident Danks earns five-year extension  —  Deal worth $65 million, includes varied no-trade clauses  —  CHICAGO — When John Danks went year-by-year contractually over the past three seasons, shunning multi-year offers from the White Sox, the southpaw basically went all-in on his ultimate value as a player.

Mariners sign free-agent LHP George Sherrill to 2012 contract  —  SEATTLE, Wash. — Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik today announced that the Mariners have signed free-agent left-handed pitcher George Sherrill to a 2012 contract.

To Live and Die in Three Rivers Stadium, Or: The Face of Michael Cimino  —  Believe it or not, most of our writers didn't enter the world sporting an @baseballprospectus.com address; with a few exceptions, they started out somewhere else.  In an effort to up your reading pleasure while tipping …

Cubs Sign Cuban Prospects Yasiel Balaguert, Carlos Martinez  —  The Cubs have signed a pair of Cuban prospects, outfielder Yasiel Balaguert and righthander Carlos Martinez.  —  Balaguert, who turns 19 on Jan. 9, has modest tools, a strong, thick-bodied frame (6 feet, 190 pounds) …

Green plans to return stronger  —  MIAMI - Jeff Green, who recently was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, said yesterday that he is more at ease now that the condition has been diagnosed, and that he is prepared to work hard after surgery to return to the NBA next season.

Game Time … NEW YORK — Jason Bay and the New York Mets missed several opportunities to provide a special ending to a moving night.  —  It was hard to complain about the outcome, though.  —  Carlos Pena hit a go-ahead single in Chicago's six-run 11th inning, and the Cubs beat New York 10-6 …

Steroid Era complicates Hall balloting  —  Back in May, I wrote that it was wrong to speculate about any player using performance-enhancing drugs without any actual evidence of that use.  —  That column was about Jose Bautista.  It could have been about Jeff Bagwell, though I made no specific mention of him at the time.