Dotel hopeful he will sign with Sox

Right-hander Octavio Dotel is in negotiations with the White Sox on a multiyear contract that could make him the club's closer.

Dotel hopes to get something done soon.

"We're talking," Dotel said Monday from Miami. "We're working on a deal."

The 34-year-old Dotel spent last season with the Kansas City Royals and the Atlanta Braves but was limited to only 33 appearances and 30¿ innings because of a shoulder injury. He went 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA and was dealt from Kansas City to Atlanta at the trading deadline.

Dotel underwent reconstructive elbow surgery in 2005 while with Oakland, then pitched for the New York Yankees the following year. He has 82 career saves in nine major-league seasons.

Cormier, Orioles OK deal: Pitcher Lance Cormier and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a minor-league contract, a move that adds depth to a potentially thin starting staff.

Cormier, 27, went 2-6 with a 7.09 ERA in 10 games with the Atlanta Braves last season. He has a career record of 14-18 with a 5.98 ERA.

• Brett Tomko has agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. A right-hander who turns 35 during the first week of the 2008 season, Tomko will compete for a spot in the rotation but also is a candidate for bullpen duty.