BASEBALL PREVIEW : Ross Newhan’s All-Overpaid Team

FIRST BASEMEN Pete O’Brien, Seattle: $1.85m

Although he hit only .260 with 12 home runs and 55 runs batted in for the Cleveland Indians in 1989, the Seattle Mariners signed free agent O’Brien to a three-year, $5.6-million contract before the 1990 season, and O’Brien went on to make his 1989 performance look good. He received $1.75 million while batting .224 with five home runs and 27 RBIs. Naturally, he’ll make even more, $1.85 million, in 1991.

Keith Hernandez, Cleveland: $1.6m

Despite hitting .233 while appearing in only 75 games in 1989, his final season with the New York Mets, free agent Hernandez still managed to sign a two-year, $3.5-million contract with the Indians. He was paid $1.9 million (including signing bonus) last year, when he was restricted by a back injury and hit .200 with one home run and eight RBIs. He is guaranteed $1.6 million this year, although he might be unable to play because of the lingering back problem.

SECOND BASEMEN Juan Samuel, Dodgers: $1.575m

Batted .242, drove in 52 runs and struck out 126 times for the Dodgers while receiving $1.25 million in the second year of a two-year, $2.8-million contract he negotiated with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers were so pleased with that performance they awarded him a $325,000 raise to $1.575 million after electing not to let him leave as a free agent.

Marty Barrett, San Diego: $1.1m

Although he appeared in only 86 games in 1989, the Boston Red Sox signed Barrett to a two-year, $2.4-million contract. Then, concerned about Barrett’s shrinking range and bat speed, they moved Jody Reed from shortstop to second base. Thus, Barrett appeared in only 62 games last year while receiving $1.3 million (including signing bonus). Barrett was released at the end of the season and signed by the San Diego Padres as a backup infielder. The Red Sox are still obligated for all but $100,000 of his $1.1-million salary in 1991.

SHORTSTOP Jose Uribe, San Francisco: $1.2m

Although he batted only .221 in 1989, Uribe signed a three-year, $3.85-million contract with the San Francisco Giants and was paid $1.25 million (including signing bonus) last year while batting .248 with one home run, 24 RBIs and 20 errors. He will receive $1.2 million this year, although Mike Benjamin is expected to be the starting shortstop.

THIRD BASEMAN Terry Pendleton, Atlanta: $2.55m

A .259 career hitter with a steady glove but limited power as evidenced by 44 home runs in seven seasons, he was signed to a four-year, $10.2-million contract by the Atlanta Braves after batting .230 with six homers and 58 RBIs in his final season with the St. Louis Cardinals.

OUTFIELDERS Milt Thompson, St. Louis: $2.1m

In seven seasons he has never hit more than seven home runs or driven in more than 68 runs, yet none of that mattered to the Cardinals when they signed him to a three-year, $6.3-million contract after he hit .290 in 1989. Thompson was paid $1.35 million last year, when his average fell to .218 with six homers and 39 RBIs.

Rob Deer, Detroit: $2.017m

The Detroit Tigers signed the former Milwaukee Brewer free agent to a three-year, $6.05-million contract this winter despite Deer’s 823 strikeouts in the past five seasons, his .210 and .209 averages in the past two seasons and his modest RBI totals of 60 and 64. Deer did hit 53 homers the past two years, but he didn’t hit much else.

Kevin Bass, San Francisco: $1.75m

In the past three seasons with the Houston Astros, Bass’s home run totals dropped from 19 to 14 to five, while his RBI totals fell from 77 to 44 to 32. Yet the Giants signed him to a three-year, $5.25-million contract as a free agent before the 1990 season, when he appeared in only 61 games because of injuries and hit seven homers with 32 RBIs while earning $1.75 million.

CATCHERS Darren Daulton, Philadelphia: $2.25m

Coming off seasons in which he batted .194, .208 and .201 while never hitting more than eight home runs, Daulton enjoyed a career year--he didn’t have much to top, of course--in 1990, batting .268 with 12 home runs and 72 RBIs. That was enough for the Philadelphia Phillies, who awarded the free agent a three-year, $6.75-million contract, the record for a catcher. As Pittsburgh Pirate President Carl Barger said: “I wanted to cry.”

Dave Valle, Seattle: $1.3m

The Mariner catcher batted .214 last year. He hit seven home runs and drove in 33 runs. Death Valle? Not at all. New life, in the form a three-year, $3.6-million contract that contains bonus provisions, lifting the possible total to more than $5 million.

PITCHERS Matt Young, Boston: $2.1m

There is no explaining the three-year, $6.4-million contract Young received from the Red Sox as a free agent last winter. He was 8-18 with the Mariners last year and 14-30 over his last three seasons, missing 1988 entirely because of an injury. The 8-18 got him a raise from $925,000 to $2.1 million.

Mike Witt, New York Yankees: $2.67m

The New York Yankees gave Witt a three-year, $8-million contract as a free agent last winter, $2 million more than anyone else offered. Witt, now sidelined by an elbow problem, was 5-9 last year and 27-40 over his past three years.

Pascual Perez, New York Yankees: $1.9m

In one of the last signings by George Steinbrenner as the managing partner of the Yankees, the eccentric Perez received a three-year, $5.7-million contract before the 1990 season despite a 9-13 record with the Montreal Expos in ’89 and a modest career mark of 64-62. Perez promptly spent most of 1990 on the disabled list, receiving $1.8 million for a 1-2 record. He will get $1.9 million this year, although his availability remains in doubt as he recuperates from shoulder surgery.

Mark Davis, Kansas City: $3.25m

Timing is everything. Davis had a 36-62 career record with 41 saves in eight seasons before registering 44 saves in 1989, his free agency season with the Padres. He capitalized by signing a four-year, $13-million contract with the Kansas City Royals and promptly returned to form in 1990 with six saves and a 2-7 record while receiving $3.25 million in salary and bonus.