Giants make Edgar Renteria their new shortstop

Edgar Renteria is back in the National League, where he thinks he belongs.

Renteria became the second free agent to join the San Francisco Giants in two days, receiving an $18.5 million, two-year contract Thursday 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 gets a $2 million signing bonus, $7 million next year and $9 million in 2010. The Giants have a $10.5 million option for 2011 with a $500,000 buyout.