Baseball’s average salary soared 9% this year to nearly $2.9 million,with Alex Rodriguez topping a sport in which more than half the players on opening-day rosters make $1 million or more.

Rodriguez headed the list at $25.7 million and was no. 1 for the sixth straight year, according to a study of major league contracts by the Associated Press. He was followed by teammates Derek Jeter ($20.6 million) and Jason Giambi ($20.4 million).

San Francisco’s Barry Bonds was fourth at $20 million, and Houston’s Jeff Bagwell – who might not play because of a shoulder injury – was next at $19.3 million.

“Baseball had record crowds last year,” Giambi said.”Probably with Barry going to break the [home run] record, it will bump it up and more people will come out and watch it. That makes players more popular, and in turn guys make more money.”

This year’s record $2,866,544 average was up 8.9% from last year’s figure of $2,632,655.

The Yankees’ payroll dropped a bit to $198.7 million from $205.9 million on opening day last year. Boston was second again at $120.1 million, followed by the Los Angeles Angels ($103.6 million),the World Series champion Chicago White Sox ($102.9 million) and the Mets ($100.9 million).

Payroll figures don’t include cash transactions, such as money the Yankees are receiving from Texas for Rodriguez and the White Sox are getting from Philadelphia for Jim Thome.

At the other end were the Florida Marlins at just under $15 million,including 17 players making the $327,000 minimum. It’s the lowest figure for any team at the start of a season since Pittsburgh and Montreal in 1998. It’s also less than the top 12 players make and 1/13th of what the Yankees pay their roster.

While the biggest spenders kept their payrolls pretty much at the same levels as last year, many teams at the bottom made boosts. Toronto added free-agent pitchers A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan, and catcher Bengie Molina, among others, hiking its payroll to $71.9 million from $45.4 million.

Eleven of the bottom 15 teams increased spending. Baseball’s labor contract expires Dec. 19, and the sport’s economic system will be negotiated again by players and owners.

“There are still concerns at both the top and the bottom,” said Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer. “The goal would be to get a tighter range that would ensure that even more than 20 clubs at Labor Day still have a chance to compete for playoff spots, that playoff spots are based on skill and talent and blossoming stars and not just on plugging holes with economics.”

Oakland, 21st at $62.3 million,still has little margin for error. Some of the highspending clubs, such as the Yankees, complain that the smaller-market franchises haven’t spent their revenue-sharing money on major league payrolls.

“Certain teams are funneling it back in the right ways and there are some teams that aren’t,” Athletics outfielder Mark Kotsay said. “I think this club in the last couple of years has definitely shed that. They’ve used the money in revenue sharing and put it back into players’ salaries.”

In a sign that the money is being spread out, the number of players making $1 million or more rose from 390 to 409 – still shy of the record 425 in 2001. The median salary — the point at which an equal amount of players fall above and below – rose to $1 million from $850,000, breaking the previous high of $975,000 set in 2001.

Figures for the study included salaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income for the 813 players on opening-day rosters and disabled lists. For some players, parts of salaries deferred without interest or with minimal interest were discounted to present-day value.

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PAVANO MAKES PROGRESS Yankees right-hander Carl Pavano threw at the club’s Tampa training complex yesterday for the first time since he bruised his buttocks last week during an exhibition game.

General manager Brian Cashman said Dr. Robert Watkins, the back specialist who conducted tests on Pavano, saw nothing seriously wrong with the injury-plagued pitcher’s results. If Pavano’s physical therapy continues successfully, he could rejoin the Yankees for further rehabilitation next week.

“Carl is chomping at the bit.The doctor said he’s very optimistic that he’ll be back with us at some point,” Cashman said.”I just don’t know when it will be…. When he feels right, we’ll get him up and running back on the mound.”

Pavano, who signed a $39.95 million, four-year contract in December 2004, played catch for 10 minutes with teammate Aaron Small, who also threw on the side while recovering from a hamstring injury. Pavano took last weekend off to rest, but felt “70%” better when he returned to physical therapy.

“It definitely feels better,” said Pavano, who was hurt when he fielded a grounder near the first-base foul line March 28 and dived to first for the out.