Now that the annual friendly exhibition has yet again given the American League home-field advantage for the World Series, let's get back to what baseball is really all about — money.

How are big league teams spending their money? Some (New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles — all below .500) aren't so good. Others (division leaders Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres) are excellent.

So here's our annual look at the best bargains and worst busts from around MLB:

Overpaid underachievers

n Catcher: Jason Kendall, Oakland A's, $12.85 million. A perennial pick thanks to his inexplicable contract, the good-guy Kendall is an excellent handler of pitchers. But he can't hit (.227, 2 HRs, 21 RBIs, .263 on-base pct., only 11 extra-base hits in 282 at-bats) or throw (14 of 72-base-stealers thrown out). Those skills are kind of important.

n First base: Jason Giambi, Yankees, $23.42 million. Let's run Giambi's checklist. Enormous salary, meager production (.262, 7 HRs, 23 RBIs), distracting legal woes and extensive injuries (only 45 games played). Yep, "The Giambino" has got it all.

n Second base: Jeff Kent, Los Angeles Dodgers, $9.81 million. Kent hasn't been that bad (.279, 10 HRs, 41 RBIs) at the plate. But at 39, his power (only 2 HRs and 11 RBIs in his last 115 at-bats) is fading and his fielding (already 10 errors after making only eight in 2006) is brutal.

n Third base: Scott Rolen, St. Louis Cardinals, $12.31 million. Want to know why Albert Pujols' power numbers are down? How about that Rolen (.267, 4 HRs, 38 RBIs) isn't providing much protection (only one HR in his last 97 at-bats). Are injuries catching up to him at 32?

n Shortstop: Julio Lugo, Boston Red Sox, $8.25 million. How Boston has done what it has despite Lugo (.197, 5 HRs, 40 RBIs, 9 errors) is amazing. The Tampa Bay castoff has hit .172 since May 1 including a troubling 0-for-32 skid. Not one of GM Theo Epstein's better moves.

n Outfield: Jermaine Dye, White Sox, $7.5 million. In the final year of his contract, Dye (.214, 12 HRs, 39 RBIs, 54 strikeouts) has collapsed. Lately, it's gotten downright embarrassing (.162, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs since June 1).

n Outfield: Andrew Jones, Atlanta Braves, $14 million. Another guy really hurting himself in the final year of his contract. His numbers (.211, 15 HRs, 54 RBIs) are really even worse than they look, considering Jones is hitting .192 with 61 strikeouts in 234 at-bats since May 1. Fortunately, he's still the best center fielder in the game.

n Outfield: Jay Gibbons, Orioles, $5 million. A huge disappointment (.212, 5 HRs, 21 RBIs, .265 on-base pct.) on a team littered with busts, the former Moorpark High player (2 HRs, 9 RBIs since June 1) is still owed $13 million from Baltimore in 2008-09. So much for trading him.

n Pitchers: Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants, $10 million. Despite being in a great pitcher's park, Zito (6-9, 4.90 ERA) is headed for his first losing season with an ERA more than a above his career mark. Oh, and he's got, six years and over $100 million left on his contract. Inept Colorado Rockies reliever Jorge Julio (0-2, 5.97 ERA in just 28 2/3 innings) has already been traded twice so everyone can chip in for his obscene salary ($3.6 million).

Combined, these 10 will swipe around $112 million this season — or more than the payroll of every team in baseball except the Yankees and Red Sox.

Underpaid gems

n Catcher: Brian McCann, Braves, $440,000. Gritty guys like the All-Star McCann (.262, 9 HRs, 49 RBIs, .288 with runners in scoring position) are why the Braves no longer need Time Warner's cash to compete.

n First base: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers, $415,000. The NL home run leader with 29 (second with 70 RBIs) is one of the game's blossoming talents and has sparked first-place Milwaukee, just edging out the startling turnaround of Washington All-Star Dmitri Young of Rio Mesa High, who is third in the NL with a .339 batting average while making $500,000.

n Second base: Dan Uggla, Florida Marlins, $392,000. One day, Uggla's all-around skills (leads ML second baseman with 17 HRs, 52 RBIs; .986 fielding pct.) will make him rich in the second basemen-starved free-agent market.

n Third base: Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals, $400,000. Washington's only legit power threat, the slick-fielding Zimmerman (.253, 14 HRs, 45 RBIs) would produce a lot more with a decent lineup around him.

n Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins, $402,000. More kudos to the overrated Epstein for letting this guy (.331, 14 HRs, 35 RBIs, 27 steals) go in the Josh Beckett trade.

n Outfield: Hunter Pence, Astros, $380,000 (pro-rated from April 27 call-up). He's been a godsend to struggling Houston, leading the NL with a .342 batting average to go along with 11 HRs, 42 RBIs, 39 runs scored.

n Outfield: Grady Sizemore, Indians, $916,667. A little pricy, but look at the All-Star's total package (third in the majors with 73 runs scored, .280, 15 HRs, 46 RBIs, 24 steals) that includes superb defense (.992 fielding pct.)

n Outfield: Curtis Granderson, Detroit Tigers, $410,000. When he's hitting and getting on base (.283, 62 runs scored, 12 HRs, leads majors with 15 triples), Detroit is almost impossible to beat.

n Pitchers: Jeremy Guthrie, Orioles, $380,000. A ho-hum waiver pickup last January, Guthrie (4-2, second in the AL with a 2.74 ERA in 13 starts) is one of Baltimore's few bright spots. Sadly, pitiful run support has cost him at least six wins. Relief honors to Arizona's Jose Valverde, who is second in the majors with 26 saves while making the minimum ($380,000).

These 10 will cost their teams a little more than $4.45 million, or less than a third of what the Dodgers will pay free-agent pitcher Jason Schmidt, who will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.