Darren Oliver to return to Blue Jays

Darren Oliver will return to the Blue Jays. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Darren Oliver will return to the team this year for what will be his 20th season in major league baseball.

The MLB twitter feed confirmed the report Wednesday afternoon.

Oliver, 42, seems to be getting better with age. His ERA, which was 2.88 five years ago, has improved each season to the point where last year, he recorded a 2.06 ERA and pitched 57 innings.

The team had exercised a $3 million option on Oliver earlier in the winter with the hopes of bringing him back, but he had said that he wants a raise or a trade to the Texas Rangers to be closer to his family, or he will just retire.

Oliver was drafted by the Rangers in the third round of the 1988 MLB Draft and had three stints with the team. In December 2011, he signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent and the team signed him in January 2012 to a one-year, $3 million deal.