"On Monday, the Jays finally announced the signing of free-agent left-hander Darren Oliver to a one-year, $4 million contract, plus a club option of $3 million for 2013.

Oliver, 41, has played 18 seasons for eight different major-league teams. He pitched the last two years with the Texas Rangers.

"There's a lot of things that Darren brings to the table," Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said. "Being left-handed in our division is very important when you look at all the big left-handed bats.

"The other component is the type of human being he is. You look at the makeup and everything he brings to the clubhouse . . . as a teammate, work ethic, character.""