DaytonDailyNews.com

Reliever Mike Lincoln agreed to stay with the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday accepting a $4 million, two-year contract after a comeback season.

The 33-year-old right-hander went 2-5 with a 4.48 ERA in a career-high 64 games. He had missed three seasons since elbow surgery in July 2004.

Last season, Lincoln pitched at least two innings 12 times, and he retired the first hitter he faced 49 times, for a bullpen-best .766 percentage.

Lincoln will get $1.5 million this year and $2.5 million in 2010. He can earn an additional $250,000 based on appearances, $300,000 based on starts or $450,000 based on games finished.

Baseball salaries slowed in 2008

Baseball salaries started to slow this year even before the economy cooled.

The average salary in Major League Baseball this season was $2.93 million, the players' association said Thursday, Dec. 4, in its annual report.

The 3.6 percent increase was the smallest since 2004, when the average declined 2.5 percent from 2003.

With some teams skittish because of the recession, the free-agent market has slowed, too. Only seven of 171 free agents had agreed to contracts before Thursday, but the pace was expected to pick up at the winter meetings, which start Monday in Las Vegas.

The New York Yankees topped the major leagues in average salary for the 10th straight season. The Yankees' average of $6.86 million was down from a record $7.47 million last year.

The Chicago Cubs were second at $4.68 million, followed by the Angels ($4.56 million), the White Sox ($4.5 million), Dodgers ($4.37 million), Red Sox ($4.2 million) and Tigers ($4.15 million).

The Reds were 24th at $1.75 million, while the Indians were 22nd at $1.9 million.

Cards acquire Greene

St. Louis addressed one of its major offseason concerns, acquiring shortstop Khalil Greene from the Padres for a pair of minor-league pitchers.

Greene, 29, a top defensive player, hit just .213 with 10 home runs last year, and struck out 100 times in 105 games.

Giants land Renteria

San Francisco lured Edgar Renteria to replace 11-time Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel with an $18.5 million, two-year contract.

The 13-year veteran hit .270 with 10 homers and 55 RBIs for the Tigers. He is best known for hitting a two-out game-winning single in the bottom of the 11th of Game 7 of the 1997 World Series for the Marlins.

He hit 27 homers in 2007.