You may recall that a couple of years ago, we introduced a little New Year's Eve "singalong" here at Batter's Box, with help from our indispensible friends at BaseballReference.com. In doing so, Hall of Names style, we linked each viable word in the lyrics of Auld Lang Syne to the name of a past or present major league baseball player.

Now, as we change the calendar year into 2008, rather than simply revisiting that particular linkfest ode to New Year's, let's try "Another" one (literally) and dip into the lyrics of Just Another New Year's Eve by the great, the incomparable, the truly magnificant Mr. Barry Manilow. He Writes the Songs, you know.

No, really ... here we go ...

I'm not sure exactly when the Winter Baseball Solstice falls on the calendar, but we have to be getting pretty close. Hall of Fame voting is starting to monopolize headlines. Irrelevant signings are becoming a source of wonderment. Dreaming of the winter meetings 11 months from now feels perfectly reasonable. It's beginning to feel a lot like January...

Every year here on Batter's Box, we gather on Christmas Day to recount our blessings of the past year and to share ....

Oh hell, no we don't. We come to brag about what baseball-related gifts we found under the tree left by that irascible never-aging prospect, Kris Kringle (DH, North Pole U.) ... so, Bauxites, what did YOU get (or give) that relates the Winter Holidays to the Summer Pastime? Don't hold back! Best gift story gets, you guessed it, a Yuletide No-Prize!

No, not involving the Jays, sorry. But an interesting youngster-for-youngster deal. The Dallas Morning News is reporting "The Rangers will trade pitcher Edinson Volquez and a minor leaguer to Cincinnati for power-hitting Josh Hamilton, according to sources."

No word yet on the identity of the "minor leaguer" involved, and as much as Volquez and his 7+ ERA have shown flashes of respectability and even brilliance, to snag Hamilton, we can assume it will be someone of real value. More as the story develops.

You hearing anything else?

Today is Joaquin Andujar's 55th birthday! Woohoo!

Okay, and why does Da Box even care about the eccentric -- some would say "wacky" -- old righthander? The four-time All-Star won 127 big-league games (and three more in the post-season) but was best-known for his, ah, irascible behavior and wacky (there's that word again) quotes. We even had a Batter's Box award named for him back in 2003 and 2004. (Um -- then we didn't any more.)

But the Andujar mojo lives on here at Da Box as well as in the spirit and gumption of all baseball fans. Celebrate the man's birthday today because ... well, hey, youneverknow.

It's been a relatively quiet few days, at least in terms of signings and trades.

The 2008 schedule is out.  The Jays open up in NY and then have their home opener on Friday against the Red Sox.  The rest of the month gets easier after that!

Don Chevrier passed away suddenly last night.

I'm sure most of us will always associate hearing his voice with the Blue Jays.

So much for Johan Santana being the first domino to fall.

Dan Haren was traded to the Diamondbacks for a package centered around OF Carlos Gonzalez.

The Jays signed Sal Fasano to a minor league deal as a fall back backup catcher option.

Here's your catch-all Mitchell Report thread.

It's coming out today and ESPN.com has a story that says that Clemens is on the list.

Ken Rosenthal reports that the Jays "on the verge of signing David Eckstein, according to a major-league source".

The Cardinals did not offer Eckstein arbitration so the Jays would not give up any compensation if the deal was struck.

11:15 Update:  Jeff Blair reports that it's a one year deal for $4.5 million and that Eckstein will lead off.  That would likely leave Stairs/Johnson for the #2 spot in the order.

Batter's Box No-Prize to the first reader to correctly explain the choice of headline ...
(Congrats to Geoff, via Chuck)

OF Kosuke Fukudome to the Cubs, it looks like ... Reliever Kazuo Fukumori to the Rangers ... Jake Peavy re-signs with the Pads, who also ink IF Tadahito Iguchi ... The Yankees are trying to send $40M boy Carl Pavano to Columbus ... Brewers DFA Kevin Mench? Really? ... Oh, and the Mitchell Report comes out tomorrow -- that should be fun ...

Whatchagot?

Today is the day where pre-free agent players have to be tendered a contract or cut loose. We'll get to see if the Jays are really willing to pay $3 million or so to Josh Towers or whether it was just a bluff to try and get something in a trade.

Ricciardi indicates that the backup catcher position should be resolved this week. I think the Jays might be waiting for Johnny Estrada to possibly be cut loose by the Mets.

EDIT:  Apparently it's Wednesday for the tendering deadline.  My bad.

Eric Gagne to the Brewers ... LaTroy Hawkins to the Yankees ... Milton Bradley to the Rangers ... Kosuke Fukudome to somewhere  in MLB ... Danny Haren to the D-Backs? ... What else are you hearing?

So what's going on?

Tim Kurkjian on ESPNews (the television station; nothing online yet) reports that the Yankees are back in the Santana sweepstakes -- surprise! Hank Steinbrenner was misleading everyone about the "deadline"! -- which may push the Red Sox to sweeten their offer, apparently since the Dodgers are also now in discussion with the Twinkies.

Speaking of the Dodgers, the Andruw Jones deal has apparently jacked up Aaron Rowand's asking price, even with LAD now out of the bidding ... and yes, Barry Bonds is talking to Oakland (another "surprise!", right?) but has some, um, hurdles to clear first.

What are you hearing?

Andruw Jones makes his way to the Dodgers - 2 years, $36 million. I guess those CF signings didn't work out so well for the LA teams last year.