Unpleasant history a year ago helped steer Josh Fogg back to the Rockies on a minor league contract.

The right-handed pitcher left them after the 2007 season as a free agent, having won 10 games and certain a multiyear deal awaited. He was wrong and ended up signing an eleventh-hour contract with Cincinnati, where his year with the Reds was abysmal.

“I was sitting at home a week into spring, not having a team,” Fogg said Tuesday. “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 had a standing request from general manager Dan O’Dowd to return to the Rockies. Not wanting “to wait and go into spring training (late) like I did last year,” Fogg took the Rockies’ minor league deal, which includes a $750,000 salary if he’s in the big leagues, along with $375,000 in incentives for games started. Fogg will 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, who went 2-7 with a 7.58 ERA for the Reds in 22 games, including 14 starts, said there was “some interest” this winter from clubs other than the Rockies. What surprised him was the interest was greater than after he went 10-9 with a 4.94 ERA in 2007 for the Rockies in 30 games, including 29 starts.

“That was the thing that blew my mind,” he said. “There were actually more teams calling. But I don’t think there was a guaranteed job out there.”

So he returned to the Rockies. They have a need — left shoulder inflammation is expected to sideline starter Jeff Francis for a month — and O’Dowd, manager Clint Hurdle and pitching coach Bob Apodaca are familiar with Fogg, as he is with them.

“I think there’s a comfort zone there on my side, definitely,” Fogg said. “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.

“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, 32, said his 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 Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he would be paid $13,000 a month.

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, competing against left-handers Greg Smith and Franklin Morales and right-handers Jason Hirsh, Greg Reynolds and Matt Belisle, who was Fogg’s teammate last year with the Reds.

“If I get outpitched, I get outpitched,” 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.”