MLBPA head Donald Fehr hopes rising salaries remain a trend. MLBPA head Donald Fehr hopes rising salaries remain a trend. (Haraz N. Ghanbari/Associated Press)

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

The average salary in Major League Baseball last season was $2.93 million US, the players union said Thursday in its annual report.

The increase of 3.6 per cent was the smallest since 2004, when the average declined 2.5 per cent from the previous season.

"I'm not sure that year-to-year movements necessarily tell us very much," MLB Players Association executive director Donald Fehr said. "Obviously, salaries went up, revenues went up, and we would like to see that trend continue."

With some teams skittish because of the recession, the free-agent market has slowed this off-season.

Only seven of 171 free agents had agreed to contracts entering Thursday, but the pace was expected to pick up at the winter meetings, which start Monday in Las Vegas.

"I think it is premature to try and make any judgments about this year, given what's happened in the general economy," Fehr said. "At this point, it's too early in the signing season this year to try to make any judgments."

The average salary had been $3.15 million US on opening day, according to the commissioner's office, but the figure always declines during the season as higher-paid veterans are released and replaced by lower-paid young players.

The final average is based on the 926 players who were in the majors and on disabled lists on Aug. 31, the day before rosters expanded.

Blue Jays average $2.8M

The New York Yankees topped the majors in average salary for the 10th consecutive season, despite a disappointing year in which their streak of post-season appearances ended at 13.

New York's average of $6.86 million US was down from a record $7.47 million US last year.

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

The Toronto Blue Jays were 15th at $2.8 million US.

The Philadelphia Phillies, who won their first World Series title since 1980, were 11th at $3.39 million US.

The American League champion Tampa Bay Rays were 27th at $1.59 million US, up from a major-league low of $906,000 US last year.

The only teams trailing the Rays this season were the Washington Nationals ($1.35 million US), Pittsburgh Pirates ($1.2 million US) and Florida Marlins ($868,000 US).

Among regulars at positions, designated hitters had the highest average at $7.5 million US, followed by first basemen ($7.1 million US), third basemen ($6.6 million US), shortstops ($5 million US), outfielders ($4.8 million US), catchers ($3.7 million US), second basemen ($3.5 million US) and relief pitchers ($1.9 million US).

The commissioner's office will not determine its final figure for several weeks.

Major League Baseball's numbers usually differ slightly from those of the union because of different methods of calculation.