Report: A's agree to minor league contract with Barry Zito

Barry Zito is going back to where it all started.

After a year-long hiatus from professional baseball, the 36-year-old reportedly agreed Monday to a minor league deal with the Oakland Athletics, reuniting with the club that selected him ninth overall in the 1999 draft. Zito's deal includes an invitation to spring training, and the 14-year veteran will earn $1 million if he makes the 25-man roster, according to MLB.com's Jane Lee.

Zito, who grew up on the west coast of California, spent the first seven years of his career in Oakland and quickly emerged as one of the game's top left-handers following his 2000 debut season.

The 6-foot-2 hurler crafted a 3.55 ERA (125 ERA+) over his seven years with the Athletics, earning three All-Star appearances while claiming the American League Cy Young award in 2002.

Zito parlayed his strong tenure with the Athletics into a seven-year, $126-million deal with the San Francisco Giants following the 2006 season, but his contract quickly proved a lousy investment. He stumbled to a 4.62 ERA (87 ERA+) throughout his miserable stint in San Francisco, managing a 1.58 strikeout-to-walk ratio while allowing 130 home runs from 2007-13.

Zito did not pursue a contract when his deal with the Giants expired following the 2013 campaign, but his agent, Scott Boras, mentioned earlier this winter that his client had interest in reviving his career.