RRosternomics
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Angels ANA

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GM: Tony Reagins

Overview

FORCED-SPEND ↘ cooling
expensive & losing · year 1 in this regime · payroll 1.3× league · TAB -2.8
-2.8TAB — talent above budget18th/30
+14.7WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)3rd/30
7.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars7th/30
-5.2dead WAR — sub-replacement drag15th/30
17%dead money %3rd/30
0.617win %1st/30
34.7roster fWAR13th/30
-36surplus $M (value vs cost)25th/30
$114Mpayroll $M7th/30

2008: made playoffs · 100–62. Ranks are vs the 30 teams that season.

Roster

CFTorii Hunter 137GGary Matthews Jr. 31GReggie Willits 9G
LFGarret Anderson 82GJuan Rivera 41GGary Matthews Jr. 37G
RFVladimir Guerrero 99GGary Matthews Jr. 43GReggie Willits 22G
SSErick Aybar 96GMaicer Izturis 52GBrandon Wood 28G
2BHowie Kendrick 92GSean Rodríguez 51GMaicer Izturis 23G
3BChone Figgins 105GRobb Quinlan 39GBrandon Wood 32G
1BMark Teixeira 153GRobb Quinlan 22GKendrys Morales 6G
STARTERSErvin Santana 5.3WARJered Weaver 3.1WARJoe Saunders 2.2WARJohn Lackey 1.3WARJon Garland 1.3WAR
CJeff Mathis 94GMike Napoli 75GBobby Wilson 7G
DHGarret Anderson 60GVladimir Guerrero 44GJuan Rivera 17G
BULLPEN★ Francisco Rodríguez 62svScot Shields 31hJose Arredondo 16hDarren Oliver 12hJustin Speier 10hDarren O'Day 1hChris Bootcheck 1hJason Bulger 0h
CJeff Mathis 94 · Mike Napoli 75 · Bobby Wilson 7
1BMark Teixeira 153 · Robb Quinlan 22 · Kendrys Morales 6
2BHowie Kendrick 92 · Sean Rodríguez 51 · Maicer Izturis 23
3BChone Figgins 105 · Robb Quinlan 39 · Brandon Wood 32
SSErick Aybar 96 · Maicer Izturis 52 · Brandon Wood 28
LFGarret Anderson 82 · Juan Rivera 41 · Gary Matthews Jr. 37
CFTorii Hunter 137 · Gary Matthews Jr. 31 · Reggie Willits 9
RFVladimir Guerrero 99 · Gary Matthews Jr. 43 · Reggie Willits 22
DHGarret Anderson 60 · Vladimir Guerrero 44 · Juan Rivera 17
SPErvin Santana 5.3 · Jered Weaver 3.1 · Joe Saunders 2.2 · John Lackey 1.3 · Jon Garland 1.3
BP★ Francisco Rodríguez 62 · Scot Shields 31 · Jose Arredondo 16 · Darren Oliver 12 · Justin Speier 10 · Darren O'Day 1 · Chris Bootcheck 1 · Jason Bulger 0

Each position lists its starter then backups by games (so platoons & bench show). Starters (mound) & bullpen (left, foul territory) are ranked by WAR; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.

2008 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Ervin Santana 25 arb 325.3 0.4 +11.6
Mark Teixeira↔ ATL 28 arb 543.5 4.3 +3.6
Chone Figgins 30 FA-elig 1163.3 4.8 +2.7
Jered Weaver 25 pre-arb 303.1 0.4 +6.7
Torii Hunter 32 FA-elig 1462.4 16.5 -11.1
Joe Saunders 27 arb 312.2 0.4 +4.6
Erick Aybar 24 pre-arb 982.1 0.4 +4.3
Mike Napoli 26 pre-arb 782.0 0.4 +4.1
Vladimir Guerrero 33 FA-elig 1431.9 15.5 -11.2
Howie Kendrick 24 pre-arb 921.8 0.4 +3.7
Francisco Rodríguez 26 FA-elig 761.5 10.0 -6.6
Garret Anderson 36 FA-elig 1451.4 12.6 -9.4
Maicer Izturis 27 arb 791.3 1.2 +1.8
Jon Garland 28 FA-elig 321.3 12.0 -9.0
John Lackey 29 FA-elig 241.3 7.3 -4.4
Casey Kotchman↔ ATL 25 arb 1001.1 1.0 +1.6
Jose Arredondo 24 – 521.1 – –
Darren Oliver 37 FA-elig 540.9 2.0 +0.1
Jeff Mathis 25 arb 940.8 0.4 +1.4
Scot Shields 32 FA-elig 640.6 4.2 -2.9
Dustin Moseley 26 pre-arb 120.5 0.4 +0.6
Darren O'Day 25 pre-arb 300.3 0.4 +0.3
Kevin Jepsen 23 – 90.2 – –
Sean Rodríguez 23 – 590.0 – –
Alex Serrano 27 – 10.0 – –
Shane Loux 28 – 70.0 – –
Rich Thompson 23 pre-arb 2-0.0 0.4 -0.4
Bobby Wilson 25 – 7-0.0 – –
Nick Adenhart 21 – 3-0.0 – –
Freddy Sandoval 25 – 6-0.1 – –
Jason Bulger 29 arb 14-0.1 0.4 -0.6
Chris Bootcheck 29 arb 10-0.1 0.4 -0.6
Ryan Budde 28 – 8-0.1 – –
Reggie Willits 27 pre-arb 82-0.2 0.4 -1.0
Matthew Brown 25 – 11-0.5 – –
Kendrys Morales 25 – 27-0.5 0.5 -1.6
Robb Quinlan 31 arb 68-0.5 1.1 -2.1
Brandon Wood 23 – 55-0.5 – –
Gary Matthews Jr. 33 FA-elig 127-0.8 9.4 -11.3
Justin Speier 34 FA-elig 62-0.9 4.2 -6.3
Juan Rivera 29 FA-elig 89-0.9 2.0 -4.2

Key additions (new vs 2007)

PlayerfWAR
Mark Teixeira3.5
Torii Hunter2.4
Jon Garland1.3
Jose Arredondo1.1
Darren O'Day0.3
Kevin Jepsen0.2

Key subtractions (gone from 2007)

Player2007 fWAR
Kelvim Escobar4.9
Orlando Cabrera4.8
Bartolo Colon1.0
Nathan Haynes0.2
Terry Evans0.1
Tommy Murphy0.1

Current & Historical Payroll

2008 payroll
$114.1M

What the front office was committed to as of 2008, 2008–2014. Pre-2015 has no contract-terms data — forward italic $ are realized actuals (hindsight, not commitments known then). Control labels (ARB/FA) are point-in-time.

current $ guaranteed $ actual $ (hindsight) arbitration (proj) pre-arb (proj) free agent

Guaranteed / signed (13)

PlayerAgeSvc2008200920102011201220132014
Torii Hunter3211.000$16.5M$18.0M$18.5M$18.5M$18.0MFREE AGENT
Vladimir Guerrero3312.000$15.5M$15.0MFREE AGENT
Garret Anderson3614.000$12.6MFREE AGENT
Jon Garland288.000$12.0MFREE AGENT
Francisco Rodríguez266.000$10.0MFREE AGENT
Gary Matthews Jr.339.000$9.4M$10.4MFREE AGENT
John Lackey296.000$7.3M$10.0MFREE AGENT
Chone Figgins306.000$4.8M$5.8MFREE AGENT
Scot Shields327.000$4.2M$5.0M$5.3MFREE AGENT
Justin Speier3410.000$4.2M$4.8MFREE AGENT
Juan Rivera297.000$2.0M$3.2M$4.2MFREE AGENT
Darren Oliver3715.000$2.0M$3.7MFREE AGENT
Shane Loux286.000—$405kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (9)

PlayerAgeSvc2008200920102011201220132014
Mark Teixeira285.000$4.3MFREE AGENT
Maicer Izturis274.000$1.2MARB 3FREE AGENT
Robb Quinlan315.000$1.1MFREE AGENT
Casey Kotchman254.000$1.0MARB 3FREE AGENT
Joe Saunders273.000$425kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ervin Santana253.000$420kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Bootcheck295.000$415kFREE AGENT
Jeff Mathis253.000$415kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Bulger293.000$392kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (19)

PlayerAgeSvc2008200920102011201220132014
Kendrys Morales252.000$500kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jered Weaver252.000$435kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Howie Kendrick242.000$432kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Reggie Willits272.000$432kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Napoli262.000$425kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dustin Moseley262.000$420kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Erick Aybar242.000$415kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rich Thompson231.000$391kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Darren O'Day250.000$390kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bobby Wilson250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alex Serrano27–—
Nick Adenhart210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sean Rodríguez230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Jepsen230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan Budde281.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matthew Brown25–—
Brandon Wood231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Arredondo240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Freddy Sandoval250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Angels 2008; the black line = the league-average player at each slot that season. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge; dropping below it = holes & dead weight.

What each regime is worth — every settled team-season since 1985

RegimeSeasonsWin %Playoff %Pennant %WS %
WINDOW 28152.131.05.01.1
CONTEND 30056.964.719.710.3
FORCED-SPEND 25648.09.81.61.6
REBUILD 32143.31.20.30.3
Rosternomics — quantifying front-office skill, attribution-clean. Follow @rosternomics on X. Decision-makers on record back to 1933; resource-controlled metrics (WAR & payroll) cover 1985–2026.
Data: FanGraphs (WAR), Baseball-Reference & the Chadwick Bureau register (rosters, IDs), the Lahman Database, Baseball America prospect rankings (via The Baseball Cube), and public payroll records. Transaction and trade data was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Executive birth/death data via Wikidata (CC0); bios are original. Emoji graphics by OpenMoji (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All figures are franchise-level outcomes credited to the decision-maker in the acquisition year — not solely attributable to one executive.