Rosternomics
BL

Bill Lajoie

Sep 27, 1934 (Wyandotte, MI) – Dec 28, 2010 (Sarasota, FL) · died at 76

General manager for the Tigers (1984–1991).

7 seasons with salary-era data across 1 stint. All figures are franchise-level outcomes during the tenure, not solely attributable to one executive.

Titles0
Pennants0
Playoffs1
Record579–554
Win %0.511
-3.8WAB — wins above budget84th/195 execs
+6.7Talent above budget — roster-construction alpha (talent your budget bought above expectation)61st/195 execs
1.82Acquisition leverage — playoff pts each bought win added, given the roster it joined (did you buy where wins matter?)28th/195 execs
-35.5WAR surplus (era-neutral, win-equiv)112th/195 execs
-14Roster surplus $M66th/195 execs

How the roster was sourced

Share of gross-positive acquired fWAR by channel (vs. league average).

Build channels — net fWAR

Acquired minus surrendered / signed minus walked.

Home-grown (draft/intl)+69.5
Trade-92.7
Free agency+25.0
Rule 5 / minor draft+0.2
Sourcing mix: 36% draft · 35% FA · 29% trade · 0% R5

Tenure breakdown

TeamRoleYearsSzns WAB WAB/yr TAB WAR surp HG Trade FA R5 AcqLev W-L% POPenWS Surp $M
Tigers GM 1984–1991 7 -3.8 -0.54 +6.7 -35.5 +69.5 -92.7 +25.0 +0.2 1.82 0.511 1 -14
Career total (1985+ data) 7 -3.8 +6.7 -35.5 +69.5 -92.7 +25.0 +0.2 1.82 0.511 1 -14

Players acquired — 112 players, by realized fWAR for the franchise (scroll for more)

PlayerPosTeam How Year fWAR
Travis Fryman 3B DET Draft 1987 +24.6
Tony Phillips 2B/OF DET Free agency 1989 +23.3
Cecil Fielder 1B/DH DET Free agency 1990 +16.9
Mickey Tettleton C DET Trade 1991 +14.4
Darrell Evans 1B/3B DET Trade 1985 +13.6
Walt Terrell P DET Trade 1984 +13.5
Tony Clark 1B DET Draft 1990 +11.5
Justin Thompson P DET Draft 1991 +11.0
Mike Henneman P DET Draft 1984 +9.2
Frank Tanana P DET Free agency 1988 +8.4
John Doherty P DET Draft 1989 +5.8
Mike Heath C DET Free agency 1987 +5.5
Bill Gullickson P DET Free agency 1990 +5.3
Rob Deer OF DET Free agency 1990 +4.7
Felipe Lira P DET Intl FA 1990 +3.8
Gary Pettis OF DET Trade 1987 +3.4
Mark Leiter P DET Trade 1991 +3.2
Milt Cuyler OF DET Draft 1986 +2.8
Eric King P DET Trade 1985 +2.7
Doyle Alexander P DET Trade 1987 +2.6
Willie Hernández P DET Trade 1984 +2.4
Luis Salazar 3B DET Free agency 1988 +2.1
Scott Livingstone 3B DET Draft 1988 +2.0
Dave Bergman 1B DET Trade 1984 +1.9
Pat Sheridan OF DET Free agency 1986 +1.9
José Lima P DET Intl FA 1989 +1.5
Kevin Ritz P DET Draft 1985 +1.5
Dan Gladden OF DET Free agency 1991 +1.4
Lloyd Moseby OF DET Free agency 1989 +1.4
Skeeter Barnes 1B/3B/OF DET Free agency 1991 +1.3
Dwayne Murphy OF DET Free agency 1988 +1.3
Sean Bergman P DET Draft 1991 +1.2
Jerry Don Gleaton P DET Trade 1990 +1.2
Doyle Alexander P DET Free agency 1989 +0.9
Juan Berenguer P DET Trade 1985 +0.9
Greg Gohr P DET Draft 1989 +0.9
Phil Clark 1B/OF DET Draft 1986 +0.7
Paul Gibson P DET Trade 1988 +0.7
Ed Núñez P DET Free agency 1989 +0.7
Billy Bean OF DET Draft 1986 +0.6
Fred Lynn OF DET Trade 1988 +0.6
Dan Gakeler P DET Trade 1991 +0.5
Andy Allanson C DET Trade 1991 +0.4
Bill Campbell P DET Free agency 1986 +0.4
Brian Dubois P DET Trade 1989 +0.4
Buddy Groom P DET Rule 5 1990 +0.3
Mark Huismann P DET Free agency 1988 +0.2
David Palmer P DET Free agency 1989 +0.2
Ramón Peña P DET Trade 1989 +0.2
Randy Bockus P DET Free agency 1988 +0.1
Jeff Datz C DET Trade 1989 +0.1
Scott Lusader OF DET Draft 1985 +0.1
Dave Engle C/OF DET Trade 1986 +0.0
Shawn Holman P DET Trade 1987 -0.0
Matt Kinzer P DET Trade 1989 -0.0
Jack Lazorko P DET Free agency 1986 +0.0
Jim Lindeman 1B/OF DET Trade 1989 -0.0
Torey Lovullo 2B DET Draft 1987 -0.0
Rusty Meacham P DET Draft 1987 +0.0
Trever Miller P DET Draft 1991 -0.0
Johnny Paredes 2B DET Free agency 1990 -0.0
Rudy Pemberton OF DET Intl FA 1987 -0.0
Rob Richie OF DET Draft 1987 +0.0
Steve Searcy P DET Draft 1985 -0.0
Nate Snell P DET Free agency 1987 -0.0
Billy Beane OF DET Trade 1988 -0.1
John Cerutti P DET Free agency 1991 -0.1
Mike Dalton P DET Trade 1991 -0.1
Morris Madden P DET Trade 1987 -0.1
Al Pedrique SS DET Free agency 1988 -0.1
Bob Stoddard P DET Trade 1985 -0.1
Mike Trujillo P DET Free agency 1988 -0.1
Jim Weaver OF DET Rule 5 1984 -0.1
Scott Aldred P DET Draft 1986 -0.2
Ben Blomdahl P DET Draft 1990 -0.2
Rico Brogna 1B DET Draft 1988 -0.2
Chris Brown 3B DET Trade 1988 -0.2
Jeff Kaiser P DET Free agency 1991 -0.2
John Pacella P DET Trade 1986 -0.2
Mark Salas C DET Free agency 1990 -0.2
Mike Schwabe P DET Draft 1987 -0.2
Phil Stidham P DET Draft 1991 -0.2
Tony Bernazard 2B DET Free agency 1990 -0.3
Iván de Jesús SS DET Free agency 1988 -0.3
Ed Romero 2B/SS DET Free agency 1990 -0.3
Alejandro Sánchez DH/OF DET Trade 1985 -0.3
Tim Tolman 1B/OF DET Free agency 1986 -0.3
Dave Beard P DET Free agency 1987 -0.4
Dave Haas P DET Draft 1988 -0.4
Brian Harper C DET Free agency 1986 -0.4
Riccardo Ingram DH/OF DET Draft 1987 -0.4
John Moses OF DET Free agency 1991 -0.4
Clint Sodowsky P DET Draft 1991 -0.4
Danny Bautista OF DET Intl FA 1989 -0.5
John Kiely P DET Intl FA 1987 -0.5
Scotti Madison 3B DET Trade 1984 -0.5
Randy Nosek P DET Draft 1985 -0.5
Rich Rowland C DET Draft 1988 -0.5
Ken Williams OF DET Trade 1989 -0.5
John Shelby OF DET Free agency 1990 -0.6
Doug Strange 2B/3B DET Draft 1985 -0.6
Gary Ward OF DET Free agency 1989 -0.6
Frank Williams P DET Free agency 1989 -0.6
Shawn Hare OF DET Intl FA 1988 -0.8
Ray Knight 3B DET Trade 1988 -0.9
Larry Sheets DH/OF DET Trade 1990 -0.9
Urbano Lugo P DET Free agency 1990 -1.0
Mike Walker P DET Free agency 1991 -1.0
Pete Incaviglia OF DET Free agency 1991 -1.1
Bill Scherrer P DET Trade 1984 -1.1
Mike Brumley SS DET Trade 1989 -1.7
Kurt Knudsen P DET Draft 1988 -1.8

WAB = wins above what the team's payroll predicted (resource-controlled). WAR surplus = era-neutral value (WAR minus payroll in win-equivalents). Roster surplus $M = dollar value of WAR over cost. Build channels (realized fWAR): HG = home-grown via amateur draft / international signing; Trade = acquired minus surrendered (incl. purchases/waivers); FA = signed minus walked; R5 = Rule-5 / minor-league-draft pickups. Credit follows the acquisition year — home-grown to the regime at the player's draft/signing (not whoever was in the chair when he peaked), trade/FA/R5 to the GM who made the move. Players acquired as prospects before debuting (e.g. Smoltz, Bagwell; Rule-5 picks like Uggla) are counted as trade/R5, not home-grown. All are franchise-level outcomes during the stint, not solely attributable to one executive.