Mets interested in bringing back LaTroy Hawkins

The Mets have once again reached out to veteran reliever LaTroy Hawkins to express interest in a reunion.

According to a source, the Mets are one of seven teams that have shown an early desire in signing Hawkins, who posted a 2.93 ERA in 72 appearances. The 40-year-old righthander capped a bounce-back season by recording 13 saves down the stretch in the absence of injured closer Bobby Parnell.

In 2012, a broken finger limited Hawkins to 48 appearances with the Angels, leaving him to settle for a minor-league deal with the Mets. But he made the team out of camp and emerged as a stalwart in the bullpen, finishing as just one of three Mets players to remain on the active roster for the entire season.

Hawkins' durability has left him in position to land a guaranteed contract this winter that will also carry a raise over the $1 million he earned in 2013.

The Mets and Hawkins had already expressed mutual interest earlier in the offseason, though the veteran righthander elected to test the free-agent waters.

Notes & quotes: Parnell and pitcher Dillon Gee were named winners of the Joan Payson Award for Community Service by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Both have done extensive work with Tuesday's Children, a charity that supports children who lost a parent on 9-11. Gee and Parnell will be honored at the annual BBWAA dinner on Jan. 25 in New York . . . Reliever Greg Burke signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies. The submarining righthander went 0-3 with a 5.68 earned run average in 32 relief appearances with the Mets before he was outrighted at the end of the season.