Ryan Freel avoided salary arbitration on Monday by agreeing to a $3 million, two-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds that would increase if he plays regularly. The 29-year-old has led the Reds in steals each of the last two years. He hit .271 last season with 36 steals despite stints on the disabled list because of a swollen foot and torn knee cartilage. Freel will get base salaries of $1.3 million next year and $1.7 million in 2007. His base salary in the second year would increase to $2 million if he gets 200 plate appearances in 2006 and would increase to a maximum of $2.65 million if he has 650 plate appearances.

The New York Yankees traded Tony Womack to the Cincinnati Reds for a pair of 24-year-old prospects on Thursday, getting rid of the second baseman-turned-outfielder just one season after signing him. New York received infielder Kevin Howard and outfielder Ben Himes in the trade, and will send $900,000 to the Reds to offset part of Womack's $2 million salary next season. Womack hit .307 to help St. Louis win the NL pennant in 2004, then became a free agent and agreed to a $4 million, two-year contract with the Yankees last December.

The Cincinnati Reds made a move to improve their pitching, but it cost them one of their most popular players to do it. ESPN 1000 Radio in Chicago is reporting that the Reds have dealt first baseman Sean Casey, who led the team with a .312 batting average this past season, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for lefthander Dave Williams. The trade will not be announced until both players pass a physical. The 31-year-old Casey, who owns a career .305 average, has played all but six games of his major league career with Cincinnati, joining the team before the 1998 season in a trade with the Cleveland Indians for righthander Dave Burba. This will be a homecoming of sorts for the lefthanded hitter. Casey graduated from Upper St. Clair High School in 1992, not far from Pittsburgh, and led his team to the Pennsylvania State Championship as a senior.

When it comes to addressing more pressing needs on the roster, namely finding a starting pitcher, the Reds probably will have to go the trade route. The Reds will have plenty of suitors, especially among teams looking for outfield help. The club likely will move at least one of its four top-level players at the position - Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns and Wily Mo Pena. "I would not limit it to the outfield," O'Brien said. "I would say that we're viewed as having a lot of good position players and clubs have expressed interest."