RRosternomics
BC

Bobby Cox

May 21, 1941 (Tulsa, OK) – May 9, 2026 · died at 84

General manager for the Braves (1986–1990).

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

Overview

Titles0
Pennants0
Playoffs0
Record323–481
Win %0.402
-7.0GM WAR — wins above a replacement GM (org-adjusted, shrunk; per season) ±5.7187th/195 execs
5.2Depth — 2+ WAR regulars per season (the breadth that drives TAB, not stars)138th/195 execs
-6.5Dead WAR — WAR/yr bled by sub-replacement players (closer to 0 = better)162nd/195 execs
46%Dead money — payroll on <0.5-WAR players (lower = better)171st/195 execs
$2MCheap-talent surplus — $/yr of value from cost-controlled (pre-arb/arb) players above their pay; the selection engine, and the stickiest GM skill we track170th/195 execs
$2MDrafted surplus — cheap-talent surplus from his own draftees (the develop-from-the-draft engine)160th/195 execs
$0MTraded-for surplus — cheap-talent surplus from cost-controlled players he acquired via trade144th/195 execs
$-0MInt'l surplus — cheap-talent surplus from his own international signees175th/195 execs
-56.8TAB — talent above budget — roster-construction alpha (talent your budget bought above expectation), tenure total185th/195 execs
-81.7WAB — realized wins (TAB + the non-repeatable luck of converting talent to wins)193rd/195 execs
0.29Acquisition Leverage — playoff pts per acquired WAR, graded once in the year each deal's wins arrive (the repeatable decision skill)157th/195 execs
-23Roster surplus $M83rd/195 execs

Tenure breakdown

TeamRoleYearsSzns WAB WAB/yr TAB WAR surp HG Trade FA R5 AcqLev W-L% POPenWS Surp $M
Braves GM 1986–1990 5 -81.7 -16.35 -56.8 -76.3 +165.2 +59.9 +22.5 +0.5 0.29 0.402 -23
Career total (1985+ data) 5 -81.7 -56.8 -76.3 +165.2 +59.9 +22.5 +0.5 0.29 0.402 -23

Roster Construction

How the roster was sourced

Share of acquired fWAR by channel vs. league average.

Build channels — net fWAR

Acquired minus surrendered / signed minus walked.

Home-grown (draft/intl)+165.2
Trade+59.9
Free agency+22.5
Rule 5 / minor draft+0.5
Sourcing mix: 54% draft · 15% FA · 31% trade · 0% R5

Roster value distribution — career average — depth vs. stars

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR, averaged across Bobby Cox's seasons. Bars = his rosters; the black line = the league-average player at each slot. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge.

Players acquired — 77 players, by realized fWAR for the franchise (scroll for more)

PlayerPosTeam How Year Szns fWAR WAR/yr Lev
Chipper Jones 3B ATL Draft 1990 19 +84.6 +4.5
John Smoltz P ATL Trade 1987 19 +81.6 +4.3
Javy López C ATL Intl FA 1987 12 +26.1 +2.2
Steve Avery P ATL Draft 1988 7 +21.4 +3.1
Lonnie Smith OF ATL Free agency 1988 5 +14.9 +3.0 0.0
Terry Pendleton 3B ATL Free agency 1990 4 +13.6 +3.4 3.7
Ryan Klesko 1B/OF ATL Draft 1989 7 +12.8 +1.8
Charlie Leibrandt P ATL Free agency 1990 3 +9.9 +3.3 1.4
Mark Wohlers P ATL Draft 1988 6 +7.8 +1.3
David Palmer P ATL Free agency 1986 2 +5.1 +2.5 0.2
Ozzie Virgil C ATL Trade 1986 3 +5.1 +1.7 0.1
Kent Mercker P ATL Draft 1986 5 +3.7 +0.7
Jeff Treadway 2B ATL Trade 1989 3 +3.6 +1.2 1.3
Greg Olson C ATL Free agency 1989 3 +3.1 +1.0 0.4
Mike Stanton P ATL Draft 1987 5 +3.0 +0.6
Sid Bream 1B ATL Free agency 1990 3 +2.7 +0.9 0.4
Eddie Pérez C ATL Intl FA 1986 6 +2.7 +0.5
Dion James OF ATL Trade 1987 2 +2.1 +1.1 0.3
Derek Lilliquist P ATL Draft 1987 2 +2.1 +1.1
Tony Castillo P ATL Trade 1989 2 +1.4 +0.7 0.1
Tony Graffanino 2B ATL Draft 1990 1 +1.1 +1.1
Ken Griffey OF ATL Free agency 1987 2 +1.0 +0.5 0.1
Joe Boever P ATL Trade 1987 2 +0.9 +0.4 0.0
David Nied P ATL Draft 1987 1 +0.9 +0.9
Brian Hunter 1B ATL Draft 1987 4 +0.8 +0.2
Francisco Cabrera 1B ATL Trade 1989 4 +0.7 +0.2
Marvin Freeman P ATL Trade 1990 3 +0.6 +0.2 0.1
Mark Grant P ATL Trade 1990 1 +0.6 +0.6 0.3
Gerónimo Berroa DH/OF ATL Rule 5 1988 1 +0.5 +0.5
Germán Jiménez P ATL Draft 1988 1 +0.5 +0.5
Gary Roenicke OF ATL Free agency 1987 1 +0.5 +0.5 0.1
Mark Eichhorn P ATL Trade 1989 1 +0.5 +0.5 0.4
Billy Sample OF ATL Trade 1986 1 +0.5 +0.5 0.0
Keith Mitchell OF ATL Draft 1987 1 +0.2 +0.2
Ramon Caraballo 2B ATL Intl FA 1988 1 +0.1 +0.1
Rick Luecken P ATL Trade 1989 +0.1
Larry McWilliams P ATL Free agency 1987 1 +0.1 +0.1
Cliff Speck P ATL Trade 1986 1 +0.1 +0.1
Dwayne Henry P ATL Trade 1989 2 +0.1 +0.1 0.1
Jim Acker P ATL Free agency 1989 3 -0.0 -0.0
Jay Aldrich P ATL Trade 1989 1 -0.0 -0.0 0.1
Joe Ayrault C ATL Draft 1990 1 +0.0 +0.0
Juan Eichelberger P ATL Trade 1988 -0.0
Mike Fischlin 2B/SS ATL Free agency 1987 +0.0
Jim Morrison 2B/3B ATL Free agency 1988 -0.0
Matt Murray P ATL Draft 1988 +0.0
Phil Niekro P ATL Free agency 1987 -0.0
Melvin Nieves OF ATL Intl FA 1988 1 +0.0 +0.0
Víctor Rosario 2B/SS ATL Trade 1990 -0.0
Rico Rossy 3B/SS ATL Trade 1990 -0.0
Tony Tarasco OF ATL Draft 1988 1 +0.0 +0.0
Chuck Cary P ATL Trade 1987 1 -0.1 -0.1 0.0
Trench Davis OF ATL Free agency 1986 -0.1
Brian Kowitz OF ATL Draft 1990 -0.1
Oddibe McDowell OF ATL Trade 1989 1 -0.1 -0.1 1.4
John Mizerock C ATL Free agency 1987 -0.1
Jeff Parrett P ATL Trade 1990 1 -0.1 -0.1 0.0
Kelly Mann C ATL Trade 1989 1 -0.2 -0.2
Graig Nettles 3B ATL Free agency 1987 -0.2
Sergio Valdez P ATL Trade 1989 1 -0.2 -0.2 0.0
Mike Bell 1B ATL Draft 1986 1 -0.3 -0.3
Ed Olwine P ATL Trade 1986 1 -0.3 -0.3
Rusty Richards P ATL Intl FA 1986 -0.3
Doyle Alexander P ATL Free agency 1987 2 -0.4 -0.2 0.2
Ed Giovanola 2B/3B ATL Draft 1990 1 -0.4 -0.4
Mike Mordecai 2B/3B ATL Draft 1989 2 -0.5 -0.3
Tommy Gregg 1B/OF ATL Trade 1988 2 -0.5 -0.3 0.0
Nick Esasky 1B/3B ATL Free agency 1989 -0.6
Jerry Royster 2B/3B ATL Free agency 1988 -0.6
Ed Whited 3B ATL Trade 1987 -0.8
Jody Davis C ATL Trade 1988 1 -0.8 -0.8 0.0
Jimmy Kremers C ATL Draft 1988 -0.9
Jim Presley 3B ATL Trade 1990 -1.0
Rafael Belliard SS ATL Free agency 1990 2 -1.1 -0.6 0.4
Ted Simmons C ATL Trade 1986 1 -1.1 -1.1 0.0
Darrell Evans 1B/3B ATL Free agency 1988 -1.4
Omar Moreno OF ATL Free agency 1986 -1.6

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.

Graphs

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