It is the middle of winter and minor league baseball news is almost non-existent.  Baseball America and John Sickels' prospect books are a month away from my mailbox so to keep me going I thought I would look at the Jays minor league system one more time.  This time I decided to put myself in JP Ricciardi's shoes and ask myself What help is likely coming from the system in the next couple of years?  Which prospects should I count on and which ones should I discount?

Everyone all recovered from a night of New Year's revelry? Good -- then let's look to the (immediate) future and fill a thread with our predictions about the 2007 baseball season. (Hey,. every newspaper columnist in every paper in the free world is writing this story today. Why not us?)

Just a few minor "rules" ....

Last year -- okay, yesterday, but that's still last year -- we built a Hall of Names team of players born on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31. Today, New Year's Day, has been more prolific in producing big league talent, with 48 players to the previous day's 28. That, of course, means ... uh, something.

And actually, it's 47 players and one manager who never played big league ball in Bill McGunnigle, who led the 1889-90 Brooklyn Bridegrooms to back-to-back league titles in two different leagues, the 1889 American Association and the 1890 National League. Could he lead this New (Year's) Age team to such success? Let's find out as we meet ...

When you search the greatness of BaseballReference.com for MLB figures born on Dec. 31 -- New Year's Eve babies, as it were -- there are 30 names returned. However, two of them -- one a manager (Jim Tracy), the other a Hall of Fame umpire (Tom Connolly) -- were never actually players, so we are looking at a list of 28 options to build a team.

All that means, of course, is that we must be steadfast and, uh, resolute, in our team-building of ... (wait for it) ...

It sounds like Zito to the Giants might be close to happening. At least that's what the Rangers think. Gammons says 7 years and $18 million/season.  That works out to $126 million.  Wow.

Former Blue Jay seaman, Shea Hillenbrand, signed a one year deal with the Angels guaranteeing him $6.0 million in 2007. The Angels have a $6.5 million option for 2008. No word on what Hillenbrand will be giving to Juan Rivera.

Jeff Suppan cashed in, signing with the Brew-crew for 4 years and $42 million.

It's the Patron Saint feast day of your favourite interactive magazine, as the day after Christmas is traditionally known as Boxing Day -- the day, of course, that we all give thanks for the important Boxes in our lives. In the sports world, that usually comes down to the penalty box, the coach's box and of course, the batter's box. Or in our case, the Batter's Box.

There have actually been 43 men (to date) who were delivered on Boxing Day (born on Dec. 26) and gone on to play in the major leagues, along with another Hall of Fame executive in Morgan Bulkeley, the first (admittedly figurehead) president of the National League when it was founded in 1876.

Two Boxing Day players, a Pudge and a Wizard, went on to Cooperstown induction, and while that's a fine start to any team (catcher and shortstop are arguably the two most important positions to fill on a team, at least defensively), how would an entire roster built from these Boxing Day Babies take shape?

Glad you asked ...

It's time for the annual question (see last year's version if you want "proof") ...

So what baseball-related gifts did people get?

Don't be shy -- Christmas "loot" is all about showing off, so  ... what'dja get???

Regular readers of Da Box may recall that we have introduced Hall of Names holiday themes before -- not just Christmas, either, as one of the very first Hall of Names entries was dedicated to (and published on) St. Patrick's Day. Other odes to Thanksgiving, the U.S. Independence Day, Canada Day, and several others, have also appeared.

And yes, we've tried Christmas -- like this less-than-successful group effort in 2003 and a rather better "ode" to Christmas Carols just last year, in '05. Earlier that same holiday season, we built a team called The Chrismas Presence made up of players born on Dec. 25 -- yes, including one guy born that day actually named "Jesus."

For this year, let's think a bit about those colourfully decorated boxes under the tree that get dismantled while the holiday turkey is in the oven. Yes, that's right, last year we met The Christmas Presence, and this year we're going for ...

The Phillies have signed catcher Rod Barajas to a one year deal for $2.5 million with a team option for a second year.

Last minute holiday gifts for baseball fans are always a bit problematic.  It is the off-season after all.  How about a book?

Here's an early look at the top college hitters in the 07 draft.

Johnny Damon, Hall of Famer? You must be kidding me. John Brattain thinks he might. Our own Magpie pointed out that: "If Damon ends up with 1600 Runs Scored and 3000 hits, which he is well on The way to doing, he's a No-Doubt-About-It Hall of Famer". Not to mention that he added power in 2006, hitting .285 with 24 homers and good plate discipline. So, maybe it is not so far-fetched.

How could this week's photograph not be of Vernon Wells?

It couldn't.

So here's Vernon:

Jeff Blair writes that the Jays and Vernon Wells agreed to a contract on Friday night. Peter Gammons notes that the deal is pending the approval of the Player's Union.

Nope, it's not a lead-in for a sunburn remedy ad.  Today, you are the General Manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and you have a pleasant problem.  You've got the following position players at or near the major league level for 2007: Iwamura, Longoria, Brignac, Zobrist, Guzman, Cantu,  Baldelli, Crawford, Young, Dukes, Gomes.  Who do you want to be in your every day lineup as of the All-Star break in 2007, and at what positions, and who do you want to move (for pitching)?