The focus of this offseason has been quite different from most. Usually at this time of year we're overwhelmed by the amount of money teams are forking over to their premier players.

This winter, the regularly scheduled programming has been interrupted by the ongoing soap opera being staged in Atlanta. You know the show in which the ethnically impaired John Rocker says something stupid and forfeits $20,000 as well as his right to pitch until May.

Compelling stuff.

As that story continues to unfold, it's easy to overlook that the Tigers are reportedly mulling an eight-year, $140-million offer to Juan Gonzalez and that the Yankees have just given Derek Jeter a one-year, $10-million deal as they try to work out the details on a far more lucrative contract.

These outrageous deals could all be leading to another work stoppage after next season, but that's another story for another time.

The purpose of this story is to show that there are still bargains out there in the baseball world. You just have to look carefully to find them.

This roster, which we'll call the All Underpaid Team, is as good as any in baseball. The highest-paid player made just $2.2 million last season and the entire payroll for the 10-man team is under $7 million.

Second base: Bret Boone won a Gold Glove in 1998 and the Reds decided he was disposable. How right they were. Pokey Reese won the Gold Glove as Boone's replacement in 1999. He also was a more productive offensive player, hitting .285, scoring 85 runs and stealing 38 bases. He did all that for $270,000. This year, he'll make $1.95 million and still be a bargain.

Shortstop: This is a tough call between the Rockies' Neifi Perez and the Giants' little-known Rich Aurilia. Perez made $400,000 and hit .280 with 12 home runs and 70 RBI. Aurilia made $800,000 and hit .281 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI. Perez is a much better defensive player, which is why he gets the nod. He also got a substantial raise to $2.2 million with a possible four-year deal on the horizon.

Third base: Scott Boras still wants Adrian Beltre to be declared a free agent and for good reason. A year ago, Beltre made $220,000 from the Dodgers. In return, he hit .275 with 15 home runs and 67 RBI. He appears to be a star in the making.

Left field: On a team comprised almost entirely of young players just making their mark, Rickey Henderson is an exception. At the age of 40, he was the trigger man for the Mets' offense, hitting .315 with an awesome .423 on-base percentage. The Mets paid the old man just $1.8 million. He could be a bargain again this year at $2 million. He could also be a bust because he's deeply disturbed by his salary.

	Brian Giles had a monster year in 1999, but wasn't paid handsomely for it.

Right field: Bobby Abreu worked for $400,000 last season. The price was right for the Phillies, who watched the emerging star hit .335 with 35 doubles, 11 triples, 20 home runs and 118 runs scored. Abreu's bargain days are over, however. For his effort, he received a three-year, $14.25-million deal this winter.

Catcher: Had Jason Kendall remained healthy all season, he'd have been the best bargain at $1.25 million. Mike Lieberthal did remain healthy the entire year and was the league's best all-around catcher at $2.2 million.

Starting pitcher: The Braves' Kevin Millwood has 35 wins the last two seasons, including an 18-7 mark as the ace of a star-studded staff last season. He still hasn't made a half million dollars for his career after collecting just $230,000 in 1999.

Closer: John Rocker. Yes, the outspoken one was by far the best value of any closer in baseball last season. For $217,500 -- just $17,500 more than the major-league minimum -- Rocker provided the Braves with an overpowering force out of the pen.

While the bargains are few and far between, the costly deals gone bad are much easier to find. The National League's All Overpaid Team made a combined $45.18 million last season. Of that total, $23.95 million was paid out by the Cubs, who finished last in the NL Central despite the fifth highest payroll in the league.

Second base: Mickey Morandini made $2 million from the Cubs last season and reportedly could have made $3 million this year if he had agreed to a deal early in the season. Instead, he hit .241 and settled for a $750,000 deal from the Expos.

Shortstop: Jeff Blauser, Morandini's double-play partner with the Cubs, was paid $4.2 million and only batted 200 times. That's $21,000 per at-bat.

Third base: Gary Gaetti received $2 million from the Cubs and hit .204 in 280 at-bats. The moral of the All Overpaid Team so far is that you should not let the Cubs invest your money.

Left field: Bernard Gilkey actually did a decent job after being forced into reserve duty by the Diamondbacks' deal for Tony Womack. But at $5.25 million, it's impossible to say he wasn't overpaid.

Center field: The Cubs got 21 RBI and 46 runs out of Lance Johnson for $5.1 million.

Right field: Bobby Bonilla was supposed to play this position for the Mets. Instead, he batted 119 times, hit just .160 and was a royal pain in the rear for manager Bobby Valentine. All of this earned him $5.9 million. It also earned him the title as this team's Least Valuable Player.

Catcher: For $5.3 million, the Dodgers' Todd Hundley earned another shot at the Comeback Player of the Year award after batting .207 with 24 homers and 55 RBI.

Starting pitcher: Steve Trachsel -- yes, another Cub -- collected $5.15 million and lost a league-leading 18 games.

Closer: Rod Beck made $5.5 million and had seven saves to go along with a 7.80 ERA. What a year for the Cubbies.