RRosternomics
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Braves ATL

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GM: John Schuerholz

Overview

CONTEND ↗ rising
expensive & winning · year 7 in this regime · payroll 1.47× league · TAB +25.5
+25.5TAB — talent above budget1st/30
+19.1WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)3rd/30
12.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars1st/30
-1.7dead WAR — sub-replacement drag2nd/30
11%dead money %1st/30
0.654win %2nd/30
64.5roster fWAR1st/30
+9surplus $M (value vs cost)6th/30
$61Mpayroll $M3rd/30

1998: made playoffs · 106–56. Ranks are vs the 30 teams that season.

Roster

CFAndruw Jones 159GGerald Williams 11GDanny Bautista 1G
LFRyan Klesko 120GGerald Williams 56GDanny Bautista 53G
RFMichael Tucker 118GGerald Williams 61GCurtis Pride 14G
SSWalt Weiss 96GOzzie Guillen 77GRafael Belliard 7G
2BKeith Lockhart 97GTony Graffanino 93GMarty Malloy 10G
3BChipper Jones 158GWes Helms 4GOzzie Guillen 2G
1BAndres Galarraga 149GGreg Colbrunn 36GEddie Pérez 8G
STARTERSGreg Maddux 8.1WARJohn Smoltz 5.7WARTom Glavine 5.3WARDenny Neagle 3.2WARKevin Millwood 3.2WAR
CJavy Lopez 128GEddie Pérez 45G
DHAndres Galarraga 2GKeith Lockhart 2GCurtis Pride 2G
BULLPEN★ Kerry Ligtenberg 30svNorm Charlton 0hRuss Springer 0hJohn Rocker 0hMike Cather 0hRudy Seanez 0hMark Wohlers 0hOdalis Perez 0h
CJavy Lopez 128 · Eddie Pérez 45
1BAndres Galarraga 149 · Greg Colbrunn 36 · Eddie Pérez 8
2BKeith Lockhart 97 · Tony Graffanino 93 · Marty Malloy 10
3BChipper Jones 158 · Wes Helms 4 · Ozzie Guillen 2
SSWalt Weiss 96 · Ozzie Guillen 77 · Rafael Belliard 7
LFRyan Klesko 120 · Gerald Williams 56 · Danny Bautista 53
CFAndruw Jones 159 · Gerald Williams 11 · Danny Bautista 1
RFMichael Tucker 118 · Gerald Williams 61 · Curtis Pride 14
DHAndres Galarraga 2 · Keith Lockhart 2 · Curtis Pride 2
SPGreg Maddux 8.1 · John Smoltz 5.7 · Tom Glavine 5.3 · Denny Neagle 3.2 · Kevin Millwood 3.2
BP★ Kerry Ligtenberg 30 · Norm Charlton 0 · Russ Springer 0 · John Rocker 0 · Mike Cather 0 · Rudy Seanez 0 · Mark Wohlers 0 · Odalis Perez 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.

1998 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Greg Maddux 32 FA-elig 348.1 9.6 -0.9
Chipper Jones Jr. 26 arb 1607.1 2.5 +5.1
Andruw Jones 21 pre-arb 1597.0 0.2 +7.4
John Smoltz 31 FA-elig 265.7 7.8 -1.6
Tom Glavine 32 FA-elig 335.3 7.0 -1.3
Andres Galarraga 37 FA-elig 1535.0 8.4 -3.0
Javy Lopez 27 FA-elig 1333.8 3.9 +0.2
Kevin Millwood 23 pre-arb 313.2 0.2 +3.3
Denny Neagle 29 FA-elig 323.2 4.5 -1.0
Walt Weiss 34 FA-elig 962.8 3.0 +0.0
Ryan Klesko 27 FA-elig 1292.8 3.5 -0.5
Gerald Williams 31 FA-elig 1292.7 1.2 +1.7
Eddie Pérez 30 arb 611.9 0.2 +1.9
Kerry Ligtenberg 27 pre-arb 751.5 0.2 +1.5
Dennis Martinez 44 FA-elig 531.1 0.6 +0.7
Keith Lockhart 33 arb 1091.1 0.7 +0.5
Rudy Seanez 29 FA-elig 340.9 0.2 +0.7
Ozzie Guillen↔ BAL 34 FA-elig 830.7 0.4 +0.3
Michael Tucker 27 arb 1300.6 0.4 +0.3
Danny Bautista 26 arb 820.4 0.3 +0.1
Curtis Pride 29 arb 700.4 0.2 +0.2
George Lombard 22 – 60.2 – –
Greg Colbrunn↔ COL 28 FA-elig 280.2 0.2 -0.0
Russ Springer↔ ARI 29 FA-elig 220.2 0.3 -0.1
John Rocker 23 pre-arb 470.1 0.2 -0.1
Bruce Chen 21 – 40.1 – –
Alan Embree↔ ARI 28 FA-elig 200.1 0.2 -0.1
Paul Byrd↔ PHI 27 arb 10.0 0.0 -0.0
Mark DeRosa 23 – 50.0 – –
Wes Helms 22 – 70.0 – –
Norm Charlton↔ BAL 35 FA-elig 13-0.0 0.2 -0.2
Randall Simon 23 – 7-0.0 – –
Odalis Perez 21 – 10-0.0 – –
Damon Hollins↔ LAD 24 – 3-0.1 – –
Rafael Belliard 36 FA-elig 7-0.1 0.2 -0.3
Marty Malloy 26 – 11-0.1 – –
Mike Cather 27 pre-arb 36-0.1 0.2 -0.3
Ray Holbert↔ WSN 27 – 8-0.1 – –
Adam Butler 24 pre-arb 8-0.2 0.2 -0.3
Brian Edmondson↔ MIA 25 pre-arb 10-0.2 0.0 -0.2
Tony Graffanino 26 pre-arb 105-0.2 0.2 -0.4
Mark Wohlers 28 FA-elig 27-0.7 4.1 -4.8

Key additions (new vs 1997)

PlayerfWAR
Andres Galarraga5.0
Walt Weiss2.8
Gerald Williams2.7
Dennis Martinez1.1
Rudy Seanez0.9
Ozzie Guillen0.7

Key subtractions (gone from 1997)

Player1997 fWAR
Jeff Blauser5.2
Kenny Lofton5.2
Fred McGriff1.4
Mark Lemke1.2
Brad Clontz0.5
Terrell Wade0.5

Current & Historical Payroll

1998 payroll
$61.1M

What the front office was committed to as of 1998, 1998–2004. 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 (18)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Greg Maddux3212.000$9.6M$10.6M$11.1M$12.5M$13.1M$14.8MFREE AGENT
Andres Galarraga3713.000$8.4MFREE AGENT$8.5M
John Smoltz3110.000$7.8M$7.8MFREE AGENT$8.0M$7.7M$10.7M$11.7M
Tom Glavine3211.000$7.0M$7.0M$9.5M$9.5M$8.6MFREE AGENT
Denny Neagle297.000$4.5MFREE AGENT
Mark Wohlers287.000$4.1M$5.2MFREE AGENT
Javy Lopez276.000$3.9M$5.2M$6.2M$7.8M$6.0M$7.0MFREE AGENT
Ryan Klesko276.000$3.5M$4.8MFREE AGENT
Walt Weiss3411.000$3.0M$3.0M$3.0MFREE AGENT
Gerald Williams316.000$1.2M$1.5MFREE AGENT
Dennis Martinez4422.000$550kFREE AGENT
Ozzie Guillen3413.000$393k$550kFREE AGENT
Russ Springer296.000$321kFREE AGENT
Rafael Belliard3616.000$250kFREE AGENT
Greg Colbrunn286.000$229kFREE AGENT
Rudy Seanez299.000$225k$775k$1.6MFREE AGENT
Alan Embree286.000$209kFREE AGENT
Norm Charlton3510.000$172kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (8)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Chipper Jones Jr.265.000$2.5MFREE AGENT
Keith Lockhart334.000$700kARB 3FREE AGENT
Michael Tucker273.000$370kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Danny Bautista265.000$345kFREE AGENT
Eddie Pérez303.000$225kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Curtis Pride295.000$216kFREE AGENT
Paul Byrd273.000$26kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ray Holbert274.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (16)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Andruw Jones212.000$215kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tony Graffanino262.000$192kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Cather271.000$182kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Millwood231.000$175kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kerry Ligtenberg271.000$175kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Adam Butler240.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Rocker230.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Edmondson250.000$32kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Randall Simon231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Damon Hollins240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Wes Helms220.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bruce Chen210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
George Lombard22–—
Odalis Perez210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark DeRosa230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Marty Malloy260.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Braves 1998; 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.