12/27/2007 4:35 PM ET Yanks seal deal with Hawkins Team finalizes one-year deal with veteran right-hander By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com NEW YORK -- The Yankees locked in a piece for the bridge to the ninth inning on Thursday, finalizing a one-year contract with right-handed reliever LaTroy Hawkins. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the 35-year-old Hawkins reportedly agreed to the $3.75 million deal earlier this month. He comes to the Bronx after making 62 relief appearances for the Colorado Rockies in 2007, going 2-5 with a 3.42 ERA. Hawkins is projected to fill a middle innings and setup role vacated by reliever Luis Vizcaino, who coincidentally left to sign a two-year contract with the Rockies as a free agent. The Yankees envision using right-hander Kyle Farnsworth as a setup man for closer Mariano Rivera, who agreed to a new three-year contract in December. Over Hawkins' final 53 outings of the season following a one-month stay on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation, he was 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA, holding opponents to a .233 batting average. Hawkins appeared in five postseason games for the National League champions, allowing two hits and one earned run in five innings. Hawkins will be joining his sixth Major League team, having appeared in 631 games over 13 seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies. A one-time starting pitcher who has also seen duty as a closer, Hawkins has a career record of 56-76 with 75 saves and a 4.68 ERA. He is one of only five pitchers to make more than 60 appearances in each of the last eight seasons (2000-07) and threw a combined 550 2/3 innings over that stretch, the sixth-most among Major League relievers. With their late-inning setup mix in place, the Yankees figure to have open competition in Spring Training among a large group of internal candidates for a few final bullpen slots, a scenario that new manager Joe Girardi said that he will welcome. --

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