Sources: Darren Oliver close to deal with Toronto  —  It appears Darren Oliver's third stint with the Rangers is now over.  —  According to two major league sources, Oliver is nearing the execution of a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and will not return to the Rangers bullpen for 2012.

Jones returning to Yankees in 2012  —  NEW YORK — Andruw Jones is set to put the pinstripes back on next season, agreeing to terms on Friday on a one-year contract.  —  The 34-year-old Jones will earn a base salary of $2 million and could tack on $1.4 million in performance incentives, CBSSports.com has reported.

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.

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.

Sources: Tigers join pursuit of Cubs' Garza  —  The Detroit Tigers have emerged as a suitor for Chicago Cubs starter Matt Garza.  —  Interest in Garza has picked up recently, major league sources say, and the Tigers are involved.  Multiple teams are pursuing Garza aggressively …

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 …

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) …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.