SAN FRANCISCO — Edgar Renteria is back in the National League, where he thinks he best belongs.

Renteria became the second free agent to join the San Francisco Giants in two days, receiving an $18.5 million, two-year contract yesterday to replace 11-time Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel.

A five-time NL All-Star, Renteria has spent 11 of his 13 major league seasons in the National League. He won a World Series ring with the 1997 Florida Marlins and a pennant in 2004 with St. Louis, but struggled during a pair of one-season stints in the AL, with Boston in 2005 and Detroit this year.

"I played good in the National League. I feel real comfortable," Renteria said on a conference call. "Maybe I know more of the game in the National League. It's my type of league. I like to play the game. The American League is different — you have to go for the home run and wait for hitting. That's no excuse for what happened in the American League, but it might be why I'm so excited to get back to the National League."

Renteria receives a $2 million signing bonus, $7 million next year and $9 million in 2010. The Giants have a $9.5 million option for 2011 with a $500,000 buyout. If he is traded before the end of the 2010 season, Renteria can void the team option and still receive the buyout.

The Giants signed right-handed reliever Bobby Howry to a one-year contract Wednesday.

BRAVES-WHITE SOX TRADE

Javier Vazquez was traded from the Chicago White Sox to Atlanta yesterday as the teams completed a six-player deal agreed to earlier in the week. Left-handed reliever Boone Logan also went to the Braves as part of the swap, while the White Sox acquired four prospects: catcher Tyler Flowers, infielders Jonathan Gilmore and Brent Lillibridge, and left-handed pitcher Santos Rodriguez.

Vazquez was 12-16 with a 4.67 ERA in 33 starts for the AL Central champion White Sox this season, surpassing 200 innings for the eighth time in nine years.

ELSEWHERE

Brewers: Free agent reliever Jorge Julio, who split last season between Cleveland and Atlanta, going 3-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 27 relief appearances, agreed yesterday to a $950,000, one-year contract with Milwaukee.

Cardinals-Padres: The St. Louis Cardinals acquired shortstop Khalil Greene from the San Diego Padres. The trade announced yesterday sent minor league pitcher Mark Worrell and a prospect to be named to San Diego. Neither of the prospects were on the 40-man roster.

Bonds trial: Federal prosecutors dropped four counts of lying to a grand jury against home run king Barry Bonds, leaving him to face trial next year on 10 counts of making false statements plus an additional obstruction of justice charge. Bonds faces the same potential sentence range — probation to roughly two years in prison — if convicted. His trial is scheduled to begin March 2.