Atkins becomes the second-highest-paid player on the team behind 1B Todd Helton ($16.6 million). Atkins is eligible for free agency after the 2010 season, meaning he and the Rockies can go through the arbitration process a final time after the upcoming season.

But that's a matter for down the road. Like Atkins and his agent, Jeff Blank, the Rockies were prepared for the case to go to a hearing but were glad matters didn't drag on and reach that final step.

"It allows us to eliminate another distraction," general manager Dan O'Dowd said. "The most important thing is to get ready for the season and get everybody in the proper frame of mind to play as a team.

"The thing that I struggle with all these times is when you're talking about somebody's salary, it's an individual thing; it's not tied to the team at all. And I think the less we have to focus on that in spring training and the more we can focus on what we need to focus on, the better off we're going to be."

--The Rockies' ongoing search for right-handed hitters who can play the corner positions led them to acquire OF Matt Murton from the A's for speedy minor league INF/OF Corey Wimberly.

Murton, 27, began his major league career with the Chicago Cubs in 2005 and was traded to the A's last season on July 8 in the six-player deal that sent RHP Rich Harden to the Cubs.

Murton, who has one minor league option remaining, played just 28 games combined in the big leagues last year with the Cubs and A's, going 13-for-70 (.186). In 317 games in the majors, Murton has a .288 average with 26 home runs and 106 RBIs.

General manager Dan O'Dowd commended Murton for going this winter to Venezuela, where he might have gotten back on course while hitting .321 (17-for-53) in 15 games for Caracas with two homers, six RBIs and a .463 on-base percentage.

The Rockies have a host of left-handed hitters among their outfield candidates, including Seth Smith, Ian Stewart, Carlos Gonzalez, Scott Podsednik and Brad Hawpe, plus switch hitter Dexter Fowler.

As far as the Rockies' right-handed hitting outfielders, Ryan Spilborghs has the most experience. The Rockies signed Dan Ortmeier, 27, a minor league free agent who played 124 games the past four seasons with San Francisco, and invited him to camp along with Matt Miller, 26, who hit a combined .341 last season at Class AA Tulsa and Class AAA Colorado Springs with 10 homers and 107 RBIs in 139 games, 106 of them at Tulsa.

"That's been an area of focus this winter, trying to add a couple of right-handed bats into our mix," O'Dowd said.

The Rockies left the switch-hitting Wimberly, 25, off their 40-man roster after he hit .291 with 26 RBIs and 59 stolen bases last season at Tulsa, and no team chose him in the December Rule 5 draft.

Wimberly began his career as a second baseman after being drafted in the sixth round out of Alcorn State in 2005. Trying to make him into a versatile Chone Figgins-type player, the Rockies played Wimberly in the outfield and at third base last season. His eye-opening speed notwithstanding, Wimberly's defense is inconsistent and as a utility type, he had fallen behind the likes of Fowler and middle infielders Chris Nelson and Eric Young Jr.

--RHP Josh Fogg returned to the Rockies on a minor league deal, in no small part because he agreed to accept an assignment to Class AAA Colorado Springs if he doesn't make the Rockies' roster to start the season and isn't offered another big league job. Fogg, who pitched for the Rockies in 2006-07, said he had a standing offer from general manager Dan O'Dowd on a minor league deal, and while there was interest from other clubs, he finally took it to avoid a repeat of last year.

Thinking a multiyear deal would materialize, Fogg was wrong and ended up signing late with the Reds. "I was sitting at home a week into spring, not having a team," Fogg said. "I didn't enjoy it last offseason doing that. I felt like I was missing something when I wasn't in someone's camp."

Fogg will have a $750,000 salary if he's in the big leagues, along with $375,000 in incentives for games started. He can earn $25,000 each for 15, 18 and 21 starts, $50,000 each for 24 and 27 starts and $100,000 each for 30 and 33 starts.

Fogg, 32, went 2-7 with a 7.58 ERA for the Reds in 22 games, including 14 starts. He realized he wasn't going to get a guaranteed contract in this market and opted to return to the Rockies.

"I think there's a comfort zone there on my side definitely," Fogg said.

"I've gone to battle for them and with them for two years. They've seen me go out there and win some games that maybe I shouldn't win and probably lose some games I should win, but they have a good idea of what they're getting out of me. And they know if they put an offensive team out there and they score me some runs, I got a real good chance of winning some baseball games.

"On their side, only they could tell, but I would think they feel pretty comfortable putting me out there every fifth day. They did it for two straight years. I would hope they would still have that comfort level with me, even though last year wasn't a great year."

Fogg's contract does not include any termination dates when he can ask out of his contract if he's not on the major league roster. And he didn't rule out going to Class AAA Colorado Springs, where he would be paid $13,000 a month.

"If it doesn't work out for me, if I don't feel like I'm throwing the ball well, the date might be the end date," Fogg said. "It's not like I want to go and try another team. It might be, maybe it's time to go home and hang out with my family."

Fogg can pitch in relief, versatility that could help his chances of making the Rockies. But he'll come to camp vying for a spot in the rotation.

"If I get out-pitched, I get out-pitched," Fogg said. "That's something I've always been able to deal with in my life. I feel like if I throw the ball well enough, they're going to make a spot for me."

--With a poor start last season -- the Rockies were 20-37 and 12 games behind after play on June 1 -- Colorado squandered the goodwill they built up during their magical run toward the end of the 2007 season.

Against that backdrop, and with the economy in poor shape, Rockies chairman and CEO Charlie Monfort stressed the importance of the team avoiding its typical sluggish start.

"I think a fast start is more critical to all teams this year than maybe in the past because of the economy," Monfort said. "But certainly it is for us, because of the way we have started the last four or five years. We need to break that habit and come out fired up."

--C Chris Iannetta will be on the final 26-man roster of Team USA, sharing catching duties with Atlanta's Brian McCann, said Paul Seiler, executive director of USA baseball.

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle expressed concern that the opportunity to play for his country, a special one to be sure, could cost Iannetta at-bats and put him at a disadvantage when the regular season opens April 6.

Seiler said that will not be the case. "It's mandatory now you only have two catchers," he said, "so it will serve both guys well. There is going to be at-bats for everybody, so they will be ready for the season."

--LF Matt Holliday and LHP Brian Fuentes, both former Rockies, were among the players chosen for team awards in balloting by the Colorado Chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Holliday was named the 2008 Rockies Player of the Year, and Fuentes was named the Pitcher of the Year.

3B Ian Stewart was named Rookie of the Year, and INF Clint Barmes was given the Good Guy award for his professionalism, cooperation and friendliness in dealing with the media.

Holliday, who hit .321 last season with 25 homers and 88 RBIs, was traded to the Athletics in November. Fuentes, who signed as a free agent with the Angels, regained his closer's role April 24 and from that point went 30-for-32 in save opportunities.

Stewart got a chance to play regularly when the Rockies recalled him soon after the All-Star break, and he hit .259 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 81 games.

--Having been traded twice in less than a year, OF Carlos Gonzalez has learned quickly about the business side of the game and would like the frequent shuffling to end. He began his career in the Diamondbacks organization and was dealt to the A's in the December 2007 trade that sent RHP Dan Haren to the Diamondbacks.

"I always stay positive," Gonzalez said. "I think when something happens, it's because God wants you to be in that place. Maybe Arizona was not my place and Oakland the same thing. Now I'm here; I'm concentrating on this team.

"I think I would love to stay here and make my career in Colorado. ... I was playing with Oakland and that's a really difficult place to hit and now I'm here in one of the best stadiums to hit. This is a hitter's park, so I would like to play here."

BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- Winning season for the Rockies in the past eight years, and that was 2007 when they won a franchise-high 90 games and made their only World Series appearance.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I was working 20-hour days, finalizing our arbitration exhibits and we were ready to go (to a hearing). At the end, Garrett made a decision to sign and focus on the team and get ready for spring training." -- Jeff Blank, the agent for Garrett Atkins, on his client agreeing to terms with the Rockies on a $7.05 million contract days before an arbitration hearing was scheduled.