Like Toronto, Texas had an eventful offseason that renewed the hope of its fans. New GM Jon Daniels made two bold trades and spent a healthy portion of his boss’s treasure to upgrade the team. Did Texas improve enough to overtake both Los Angeles and Oakland and reach the postseason for the first time since 1999?

This morning's buzz turned out to be true: in a 1:00 press conference today, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that Roy Halladay has signed a 3 year, $40 million dollar contract extension, locking him up as a Jay until 2010.

Now, A.J. Burnett's wife gets free limo rides, and Troy Glaus's wife gets an operating budget for her ranch as part of their spouses' contracts --

What perks will Mrs. Halladay be receiving? Speculate away!

Oh yeah, and let's talk about what this means to the future of the team and stuff like that, too. I suppose that's also important.

Yesterday was the first day for minor league spring training games. The minor league regular season is just three weeks or, to be precise, 21 days away. Yesterday the Jays fortified the minor league ranks by returning eight players to minor league camp. To give us our minor league fix I have put together a description of the one thing, and only one thing, that each of the Blue Jays top 30 prospects needs to do in 2006 to move up the prospect charts.

Those folks on the other side of Chicago seem to have all the fun.

Today the Boston Red Sox returned Jamie Vermilyea to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox selected him in the Rule V draft, but he was competed for a job in a deep bullpen. Furthermore, with the Red Sox being a contender he needed to heavily impress them to make the team. He only had one appearance in Spring Training, where he didn't allow a run over two innings, but evidently he didn't show them enough in practice to make the team.

Like many things in life, this started off as one idea, and ended up somewhere else entirely.

Sickness continues to infest the NFH homestead, and as a result I got to watch almost all of two baseball games!

Random thoughts to follow...

It would be glib to suggest that all Mariner fans have to look forward to in 2006 is Felix Hernandez. So consider me glib, because, while Ichiro Suzuki will do his thing and Kenji Johjima may add more Japanese flair, the Mariners look like one of the dullest teams in baseball.

(Yep, Even Judas)

In a nod to the current Lenten season, we're about to get all apostolic here on Da Box. But does that mean we're looking at Matthews, Markle, Luke and John ... or at Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?

Let's find out.

Are you surprised to see a new Photo of the Week? Well, I am too. We're all sick here at the NFH homestead, and that means while Mrs. Hank and Baby Theo sleep it off, I can drag myself over to the computer and get some Batter's Box work done.

So, without further ado, here is the MLB player with the most fantastic biographical tidbit ever in his media guide bio:

Is this the year? The Braves have won fourteen straight division titles and they are about to start chasing number fifteen. They have survived the loss of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Javy Lopez, Gary Sheffield and now Rafael Furcal is gone. But this off-season has brought a new concern, the loss of Leo Mazzone. Could his departure be the tipping point that ends the Braves run? The Braves players and management are confident about their prospects for 2006 but this could finally be the year when the streak ends.

In last year's The Hunt For a Reds October '05, the following brash prediction highlighted the wildly optimistic conclusion: "[T]he 94-68 Reds will snag the NL Wild Card and ride an October wave into the World Series."

Yeah, that didn't happen.

Now, what about 2006? Well, it's simple. The Reds are going to ...

The Padres had a moderately busy offseason, as they made one good trade, one bad trade and a couple of inconsequential trades. There were some other moves, with minor-league signings forming the bulk of these. However, for better or for worse, the Padres are primarily the same team that won the 2005 NL West. The question is whether or not this is enough to stand up to the improved L.A. Dodgers and a Giants team with a possibly-healthy Barry Bonds.

We've written nothing - buggerall - not a sausage - about the Blue Jays lately.

Are any of you wondering why?

The pendulum swings
Back and forth for Marlins fans:
Titles, then fire sales

With no construction in sight for a new ballpark, Larry Beinfest nevertheless put on his hard hat -- to apply the wrecking ball, yet again. It's time to preview the club that perhaps most needs to be previewed in all of baseball -- the Florida Marlins, who jettisoned seven of their eight position players, two starting pitchers and virtually their entire bullpen. So who are these guys?

As always, additional senryus from Box readers are most welcome in the "Comments" field. A "senryu" is, of course, short poems in haiku meter that do not refer to nature. And there ain't much natural about how this ballclub came about.