The New York Yankees finalized a $3.75 million, one-year contract with LaTroy Hawkins on Thursday, strengthening their weak middle relief with the veteran right-hander. Hawkins, who turned 35 last Friday, was 2-5 with a 3.42 ERA last season for the Colorado Rockies. He made $3.25 million, and Colorado declined a $3.75 million option, choosing instead to pay a $250,000 buyout.

Mark Prior, cut loose by the Cubs earlier this month, has agreed to terms with the San Diego Padres. Prior receives a one-year major league deal with a $1 million base salary. The contract, which doesn't include an option, contains incentive clauses that could take the total value of the deal to over $3 million. An announcement is expected to come sometime Wednesday. Prior, 27, last pitched in the big leagues in 2006, and had shoulder surgery in April of 2007. The second overall pick in the 2001 draft, Prior went 18-6 for the Cubs in 2003 before experiencing a series of physical problems. He was born in San Diego and lives in San Diego County. It is the Padres' hope that he is able to join a rotation that already includes Jake Peavy, Chris Young, Greg Maddux and Randy Wolf.

The Philadelphia Phillies and free agent outfielder Geoff Jenkins have reached preliminary agreement on a two-year deal believed to be worth about $13 million, a baseball source told ESPN.com. The agreement includes a third year vesting option based on plate appearances that could increase Jenkins' total package to $20 million, the source said. The deal could be announced as early as Thursday. Jenkins, 33, is a .277 career hitter with 212 home runs in 10 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. He became a free agent when the Brewers declined his 2008 option of $9 million after the season. The Phillies, who lost Aaron Rowand to San Francisco through free agency and sent Michael Bourn to Houston in a trade for closer Brad Lidge in November, have been looking for a left-handed bat to share time with Jayson Werth in right field.

Left-handed reliever Ron Mahay and the Royals reached a preliminary agreement on an $8 million, two-year contract. Mahay's deal is subject to him passing a physical, which is scheduled for Thursday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't made an announcement. Mahay would earn $4 million annually.

The NL champion Colorado Rockies added two pitchers on Wednesday, agreeing to one-year contracts with right-hander Kip Wells and lefty Mark Redman.

The Kansas City Royals have agreed to terms with 11 players on minor league contracts for the 2008 season. The Royals also have extended non-roster invitations to six players for 2008 Major League Spring Training camp in Surprise, Ariz. The 11 players who have signed a minor league contract for the 2008 season are the following: - Infielder Luis Castillo, 23, hit .258 (32-for-124) with nine doubles, two home runs and 15 RBI in 38 games for Burlington (A) in 2008. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound native of Venezuela was signed by the Royals as a minor league free agent on Dec. 12, 2005. - Left-handed pitcher Mike Connolly, 25, went 4-7 with a 5.22 ERA in 28 appearances (14 starts) for Wichita (AA) in 2007. The 6-foot, 195-pound native of Fayetteville, Ark., signed with the Royals as a minor league free agent on Dec. 19, 2006. - Right-handed pitcher Julio De La Cruz, 27, went 1-4 with six saves and a 4.87 ERA in 48 games for Reading (AA) in the Phillies organization in 2007. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound native of Cotui, Dominican Republic, originally signed with Philadelphia on Jan. 1, 2001 as a non-drafted free agent. - Outfielder Adam Greenberg, 26, hit .266 (124-for-467) with 30 doubles, 11 triples, eight home runs, 43 RBI, 73 runs and 23 steals for Wichita (AA) in 2007. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound native of New Haven, Conn., was signed by the Royals as a minor league free agent on Nov. 15, 2006. - Right-handed pitcher Ben Hendrickson, 26, went 11-5 with a 4.12 ERA in 27 games (18 starts) for Omaha (AAA) in 2007. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound native of St. Cloud, Minn., was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers on March 27, 2007. - Infielder Jeff Nettles, 29, opened the 2007 season hitting .316 for Somerset in the Independent Atlantic League before being signed by the Royals on July 5. The 6-foot, 185-pound native of Englewood, NJ hit .267 (59-for-221) for Wichita with 14 doubles, eight home runs and 41 RBI in 58 games. - Right-handed pitcher Matt Peterson, 25, spent a majority of his 2007 season at Altoona (AA) in the Pirates system, going 4-2 with a 1.98 ERA in 51 appearances. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound native of Alexandria, La., also made three relief appearances for Indianapolis (AAA). - Catcher Luany Sanchez, 22, hit .250 with three home runs in 26 games for Rio Grande in the Independent United League in 2007. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound native of Jima Abajo, Dominican Republic spent the 2003-2006 seasons in the San Diego Padres organization. - Right-handed pitcher Arthur Santos, 25, split his 2007 season between Wilmington (A) and Wichita (AA). The 6-foot, 185-pound native of Miami, Fla., was 0-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 22 relief appearances for Wilmington and 1-2 with a 6.42 ERA in 19 games for Wichita. - Outfielder Ovandy Suero, 25, hit .252 (109-for-433) for Lakeland (A) in the Tigers organization in 2007, leading the Florida State League with 75 stolen bases. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound native of Villa Gonzales, Dominican Republic, has 261 career stolen bases and was originally signed by the Braves as a non-drafted free agent on Feb. 9, 2002. In addition to the signings, the Royals announced that right-handed pitchers Roman Colon, Ben Hendrickson, Matt Peterson and Matt Wright, along with catcher Damaso Espino and first baseman Mike Stodolka have been invited to the Royals 2008 Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster invites.

The Padres on Tuesday agreed to terms with second baseman Tadahito Iguchi on a one-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the San Diego Tribune reported the deal is worth $4 million. Iguchi batted .267 with nine home runs and 43 RBI in 135 combined games with the Phillies and White Sox last season.

Javy Lopez is trying a comeback with his former team, agreeing Monday to a minor league contract with the Braves. The catcher was out of the majors this year after he was cut by Colorado in spring training. He played for the Braves from 1992-2003 and was selected to three All-Star teams. Atlanta invited Lopez to spring training, where he will compete for a backup job behind starting catcher Brian McCann.

The D-backs have reached an agreement with Bob Melvin on a contract extension through the 2010 season, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told MLB.com. An announcement is expected within the next few days.

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms Saturday to sign left-handed reliever Ray King and utility infielder Pete Orr to minor-league contracts. King made 55 appearances with the Nationals this year, often with the job of retiring just one left-handed hitter, before he was traded to Milwaukee on Sept. 4 for prospect Andrew Lefave. King, who turns 34 next month, is 20-23 with two saves and a 3.43 ERA over nine major league seasons. The 28-year-old Orr spent three seasons with Atlanta. He hit .200 with two RBIs in 57 games this year. His best season came as a rookie in 2005, when he batted .300 with one homer, eight RBIs and seven stolen bases in 112 games.