NEW YORK -- If there's a strike or lockout following the 2001 season, baseball owners are still guaranteed their money from the sport's new $2.5 billion, six-year contract with Fox.

"The networks have always been willing to finance a work stoppage on the owners behalf," union head Donald Fehr said after the deal was announced Wednesday. "That's not anything new or different."

If teams continue to split national TV money equally, the new deal guarantees them about $20 million annually, up from about $12.7 million this year. As part of their expansion agreements, Arizona and Tampa Bay receive $5 million a year less than other teams through 2002.

With a free-agent class upcoming that includes Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Mike Hampton and Mike Mussina, much of that money will be spent in the upcoming months.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said the increased money will help baseball's low-revenue teams, but said owners still will want to make changes to the sport's economic structure.

"Obviously, I'm very pleased," he said. "The rest is up to me to try to take all the revenue and to correct the disparity problems and the other problems that exist."

Owners cite their latest economy study panel, saying the postseason is dominated by big spenders. The players' association disputes that.

"The imbalance that has the Yankees winning less than 90 games?" Fehr said. "The one where the White Sox, the Mariners, the Giants and the A's seem to be winning? That imbalance?

"Since it is split evenly, obviously that helps to redress the imbalance to some extent. And they also expect to soon be able to generate $1 billion per year on the Internet."

Baseball has had eight work stoppages since 1972, and the current labor contract expires after the 2001 World Series.

If there's a strike or lockout that causes Fox to lose games in 2002, baseball would give the network additional games after play resumes.

"We will work it out," Selig said, adding he hopes it won't come to that.

"We get protection and we'll continue playing baseball," Fox Sports Television Group chairman David Hill said.