This is not about collusion. This should not evoke sympathy for today's players, nor should anyone derive pleasure from their relative discomfort. This simply shows how the finances of baseball have changed significantly, much to the dismay of the average player.

	Brian Daubach, right, played in 137 games for the Red Sox in 2002, but now finds himself battling for a roster spot with the White Sox.

Hundreds of major leaguers -- some of them with 10 or more years of service -- went to spring training as non-roster players. None of them is a great player, many of them will have a job on Opening Day and some will make more in 2003 than some people will make in a lifetime.

Still, it is a humbling experience to play every day for a team for several years, then the following spring training, have nothing guaranteed, not playing time, money or security.

Here's our All Non-Roster Team (from rosters as spring training began):
C: John Flaherty, Yankees
1B: Lee Stevens, Devil Rays
2B: Ron Belliard, Rockies
SS: Chris Gomez, Twins
3B: Ron Coomer, Dodgers
OF: Ruben Sierra, Rangers; John Vander Wal, Brewers; Gerald Williams, Devil Rays
DH: Brian Daubach, White Sox
SPs: Robert Person, Red Sox; Jimmy Anderson, Reds; Jim Parque, Devil Rays; Charles Nagy, Padres; Esteban Loaiza, White Sox.
RPs: Juan Acevedo, Yankees; Vic Darensbourg, Rockies; Graeme Lloyd, Mets; C.J. Nitkowski, Rangers; Mike Fetters, Twins.

It's no All-Star team, but Daubach has hit at least 20 home runs for four straight seasons. Stevens has hit 15 or more homers for six consecutive years. A few years ago, Belliard was the Brewers' second baseman of the future. Person won 15 games in 2001. Anderson has pitched almost 500 innings (491 to be exact) the last three years. Acevedo had a 2.65 ERA and 28 saves last year. Fetters has 12 years of major league service, a career 3.76 ERA and 99 saves. He finished last year with the Diamondbacks, who didn't offer him a contract for this season.

"We looked around and got 'no, no, no,' '' Fetters said after a workout with the Twins this spring. "Middle relievers, a few years ago, started getting paid. Now, it looks like they're the first ones left out.''

Fetters, 38, received so little attention, he called the Diamondbacks again to see if they would be interested in signing him on May 1, the first date for which a player who wasn't offered arbitration to return to his former team. Again, Arizona had no room for him. When the Twins offered him an invitation to spring training as a non-roster player, he jumped at it.

	“	Now I've got to make the team. If I don't, I might call it quits. I used to come to spring training to get my work in, work on some things. Now, I've got to be lights out every time out. ”
		— Mike Fetters, Twins non-roster player

He's a happy man now.

"Now I've got to make the team,'' Fetters said. "If I don't, I might call it quits. I used to come to spring training to get my work in, work on some things. Now, I've got to be lights out every time out.''

If he makes the team, he will make $500,000 in 2003. Last year, he made $2.275 million. Others will take far bigger pay cuts.

Flaherty, 35, has caught at least 75 games a year for the last eight years. The Devil Rays are committed to young Toby Hall, so Flaherty became a free agent after last season. The Yankees made the first offer for him to be a backup, but two other teams called about him playing every day. So, he turned down the Yankees. The other opportunities fell through, as so many have for so many players. The Yankees called again and Flaherty accepted a non-roster assignment. Now he has to beat out Chris Widger this spring in order to be the backup to Jorge Posada.

So many players have similar stories. But at least they're in uniform in a big-league camp. Kenny Rogers, who was 13-8 last year, has no job. Neither does Kenny Lofton, who batted leadoff in 17 straight playoff games for the Giants in 2002 (the Pirates are talking to Lofton and recently signed Reggie Sanders, who didn't get a job until late February. Sanders has a combined 56 homers and 175 RBI over the last two years). Neither does Chuck Finley, whose work down the stretch last year helped the Cardinals win the National League Central. Finley could end up back with St. Louis on May 1.

Not all these non-roster players will be on major-league clubs by then. These players have learned a valuable lesson: being a free agent, being out there for all 30 teams, isn't what it used to be. In fact, it might be something to avoid.

Tim Kurkjian is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and a regular contributor to Baseball Tonight. E-mail tim.kurkjian@espnmag.com.