Blue Jays pitcher Darren Oliver wants a raise or he will retire. Alex Anthopoulos said he won't give the pitcher more money. (FRED THORNHILL/Reuters file photo)
TORONTO - Don’t expect Darren Oliver to be back in a Jays uniform this season.
The veteran lefty who had a terrific campaign with the Jays in 2012 will either be back for the $3-million option that remains on his contract or not at all. He will not get a new contract with a salary bump and if he doesn’t return, the Jays will not use that $3 million to go out and sign another player.
“If Darren would choose to come back we’d certainly honour that, we’d be thrilled to have him. But that money is Darren Oliver money, it’s not go-get-another-player, reliever money,” general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday.
Anthopoulos added that Oliver can’t sit around forever to make up his mind, that he can’t say to the Jays one week into the season: ‘Hey, I’m back.’
