MLB notebook: Hudson signs with Giants

Tim Hudson hardly envisioned his career crossing the country once more to bring him back to the Bay Area.

Hudson finalized a $23 million, two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, returning the pitcher to his professional baseball roots. He began his big league career with Oakland.

“I’d like to start out by saying we’re really excited to come back to the bay. This is where I started my career,” Hudson said. “Making a trip back across the country quite honestly isn’t something I anticipated a couple years ago. When the Giants were interested in me, I quickly realized it was going to be a definite possibility.”

While Hudson had a hard time deciding to leave the Braves – the team he grew up cheering – he understood this would be a great opportunity with a franchise that won the World Series in 2010 and ’12. His two daughters were born in the Bay Area.

Hudson made his major league debut with the Athletics in 1999 and went 92-39 in six seasons with Oakland, where the right-hander teamed with Mark Mulder and Barry Zito to form a successful “Big Three.”

The 38-year-old went 8-7 with a 3.97 ERA last season for Atlanta.

Around the league

LaTroy Hawkins is returning to the Rockies and the veteran reliever may just possibly wind up as their closer. Hawkins, 40, agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal. He was 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA for the Mets last season. … The Nationals have promoted Bob Henley to third base coach. … Yankees President Randy Levine has testified at Alex Rodriguez’s grievance hearing and denied conspiring with MLB on the 211-game suspension given to the New York third baseman last summer.