by Ken Rosenthal

MLB Hot Stove

Ken Rosenthal and our MLB crew have you covered. Check out all the news and notes from the hot stove. Angels sign Abreu to 1-year deal Sources: Nats land Dunn w/2-year deal Updates: Lefty relievers getting offers Wolf, Dodgers agree to $5M deal Sources: Mets ink deal to keep Perez Braves, Kotchman avoid arbitration Sources: Rays, Shouse OK deal Report: Varitek to stay with BoSox Mets, Maine avoid arbitration Pirates sign P Maholm to 3-year deal

The deal, which was first reported by FOX 26 Sports in Houston, is contingent on Hampton passing a physical — no small consideration, given that Hampton pitched only 78 innings last season after missing all of 2006 and '07 due to injuries.

Hampton, 36, pitched for the Astros from 1994 to '99 and enjoyed his greatest success as a member of that franchise. In '99, he went 22-4 with a 2.90 ERA, finishing second in the National League Cy Young Award voting.

The Astros traded Hampton to the Mets after that season. Hampton spent two years in New York, then signed an eight-year, $121 million free-agent contract with the Rockies. He eventually was traded to the Braves.

Hampton missed the first four months of last season with Atlanta, then went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA, demonstrating that he was healthy enough to warrant a new deal.