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Cubs CHC

198577–84 (0.478)
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GM: Dallas Green

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1985, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$13M
Surplus $M
-5
Win %
0.478
TAB
-7.3
WAB
-8.1
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
30.2
Dead money %
22%
Depth Players
8.0
Dead WAR
-4.8

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1985 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RJody Davis138
RSteve Lake55
RKeith Moreland2

1B

LLeon Durham151
RKeith Moreland12
LRichie Hebner12

2B

RRyne Sandberg153
RChris Speier13
BDave Owen4
BChico Walker2
RDavey Lopes1

3B

RRon Cey140
RChris Speier32
RKeith Moreland11
BDave Owen7
LRichie Hebner7
RDavey Lopes4

SS

RShawon Dunston73
BLarry Bowa⇄72
RChris Speier58
BDave Owen7
RRyne Sandberg1

LF

RGary Matthews Sr.85
RDavey Lopes48
LThad Bosley46
RGary Woods44
RBilly Hatcher16
RBrian Dayett10
BChico Walker3
LRichie Hebner1

CF

RBob Dernier116
RBilly Hatcher27
RDavey Lopes25
LThad Bosley7
RDarrin Jackson4
RGary Woods4

RF

RKeith Moreland148
RDavey Lopes17
RGary Woods12
LThad Bosley8
BChico Walker3
RBilly Hatcher3

DH

—

Starters

RDennis Eckersley4.4 WAR
RRick Sutcliffe2.7 WAR
RScott Sanderson1.9 WAR
LSteve Trout1.2 WAR
RDick Ruthven0.7 WAR
RReggie Patterson0.7 WAR
LRay Fontenot0.1 WAR
RLary Sorensen0.0 WAR
RJohnny Abrego-0.1 WAR
RJay Baller-0.1 WAR
LSteve Engel-0.1 WAR
LLarry Gura⇄-0.2 WAR
RDerek Botelho-0.3 WAR

Bullpen

★ RLee Smith33 sv
RWarren Brusstar0 h
RGeorge Frazier0 h
RLary Sorensen0 h
LRon Meridith0 h
RJay Baller0 h
RDave Beard0 h
RDave Gumpert0 h

Each position shows its top 3 by games (top = starter) — click "+more" for the rest. The letter is bats/throws; ⇄ marks a player traded mid-season. Starters are ranked by WAR, bullpen by holds; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.

Key additions (new vs 1984)

PlayerfWAR
Ryne Sandberg5.9
Dennis Eckersley4.4
Rick Sutcliffe2.7
Lee Smith2.7
Jody Davis2.4
Leon Durham2.3

Key subtractions (gone from 1984)

Player1984 fWAR
—

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Cubs. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 1985; everyone else is shown as a 1985 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Dennis Eckersley 1985 +4.4 +77.5 0.8 +76.8 $0.2M 2.19× –
Ryne Sandberg 1985 +5.9 +64.8 0.5 +64.3 $0.1M 1.38× –
Lee Smith 1985 +2.7 +55.4 0.7 +54.8 $0.2M 2.57× –
Rick Sutcliffe 1985 +2.7 +42.3 1.3 +41.1 $0.5M 1.96× –
Scott Sanderson 1985 +1.9 +23.1 0.5 +22.6 $0.3M 1.49× –
Davey Lopes 1985 +2.2 +21.6 0.5 +21.1 $0.2M 1.22× –
Thad Bosley 1985 +2.1 +20.7 0.2 +20.4 $0.1M 1.22× –
Keith Moreland 1985 +1.9 +18.6 0.9 +17.7 $0.5M 1.22× –
Leon Durham 1985 +2.3 +15.3 0.8 +14.5 $0.3M 0.81× –
Jody Davis 1985 +2.4 +14.7 0.6 +14.1 $0.2M 0.76× –
Steve Trout 1985 +1.2 +9.4 0.6 +8.7 $0.6M 1.02× –
Dick Ruthven 1985 +0.7 +5.8 0.8 +5.1 $1.1M 1.02× –
Bob Dernier 1985 +0.8 +5.4 0.4 +5.0 $0.5M 0.83× –
Gary Matthews Sr. 1985 +0.5 +3.3 0.6 +2.7 $1.2M 0.83× –
Larry Bowa↔ 1985 +0.6 +2.8 0.4 +2.4 $0.8M 0.61× –
Gary Woods 1985 +0.3 +2.0 0.3 +1.6 $1.1M 0.83× –
Ron Cey 1985 +0.6 +2.6 1.4 +1.2 $2.6M 0.58× –
Ray Fontenot 1985 +0.1 +0.5 0.2 +0.3 $3.0M 1.02× –
Lary Sorensen 1985 +0.0 +0.0 0.3 -0.3 $41.9M 0.67× –
Chris Speier 1985 -0.3 -1.4 0.2 -1.6 – 0.61× –
Richie Hebner 1985 -0.4 -1.8 0.3 -2.1 – 0.56× –
Warren Brusstar 1985 -0.5 -2.7 0.4 -3.1 – 0.67× –
George Frazier 1985 -1.3 -7.2 0.5 -7.6 – 0.67× –
Billy Hatcher 1985 -0.5 -3.2 – – – 0.83× –
Brian Dayett 1985 -0.0 -0.3 – – – 0.83× –
Chico Walker 1985 -0.2 -1.3 – – – 0.83× –
Darrin Jackson 1985 -0.2 -1.2 – – – 0.83× –
Dave Beard 1985 -0.2 -0.9 – – – 0.67× –
Dave Gumpert 1985 -0.0 -0.0 – – – 0.67× –
Dave Owen 1985 +0.0 +0.0 – – – 0.58× –
Derek Botelho 1985 -0.3 -2.6 – – – 1.02× –
Jay Baller 1985 -0.1 -0.5 – – – 0.67× –
Johnny Abrego 1985 -0.1 -0.5 – – – 1.02× –
Jon Perlman 1985 -0.3 -1.8 – – – 0.67× –
Larry Gura↔ 1985 -0.2 -1.5 – – – 1.02× –
Reggie Patterson 1985 +0.7 +5.5 – – – 1.02× –
Ron Meridith 1985 +0.0 +0.3 – – – 0.67× –
Shawon Dunston 1985 +0.9 +4.7 – – – 0.61× –
Steve Engel 1985 -0.1 -0.6 – – – 1.02× –
Steve Lake 1985 -0.1 -0.5 – – – 0.52× –
Total—+30.1+368.313.2+359.7—

Trades

Every graded 1985 deal involving the Cubs — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 5 total.

1985 · HOU / CHC
HOU · Al Rosen +$48.8M
Billy Hatcher, Steve Engel
CHC · Dallas Green −$48.8M
Jerry Mumphrey
HOU came out ahead by $48.8M
1985 · CLE / CHC
CLE · Phil Seghi +$4.0M
Dan Rohn
CHC · Dallas Green −$4.0M
Jay Baller
CLE came out ahead by $4.0M
1985 · SFG / CHC
SFG · Tom Haller +$13.6M
Dave Owen
CHC · Dallas Green −$13.6M
Manny Trillo
SFG came out ahead by $13.6M
1985 · CLE / CHC
CLE · Phil Seghi +$1.6M
Tom Grant
CHC · Dallas Green −$1.6M
Dave Beard
CLE came out ahead by $1.6M
1985 · OAK / CHC
OAK · Sandy Alderson +$0.0M
Damon Farmar
CHC · Dallas Green +$0.0M
cash / PTBNL
Even trade

Current & Historical Payroll

1985 payroll
$13.1M

What the front office was committed to as of 1985, 1985–1991. 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 (17)

PlayerAgeSvc1985198619871988198919901991
Ron Cey3714.000$1.4M$1.4MFREE AGENT
Rick Sutcliffe299.000$1.3M$1.5M$1.8M$2.1M$2.3M$1.9M$2.3M
Keith Moreland317.000$865k$760k$1.0MFREE AGENT
Dick Ruthven3412.000$767k$1.1MFREE AGENT
Dennis Eckersley3010.000$750k$783kFREE AGENT
Steve Trout277.000$640k$890k$498kFREE AGENT
Gary Matthews Sr.3413.000$600k$850k$445kFREE AGENT
Scott Sanderson287.000$500k$800k$850k$950k$800kFREE AGENT
Davey Lopes4013.000$490k$301kFREE AGENT
George Frazier307.000$483k$443kFREE AGENT
Larry Bowa3915.000$440kFREE AGENT
Warren Brusstar338.000$375kFREE AGENT
Gary Woods319.000$322kFREE AGENT
Lary Sorensen298.000$320kFREE AGENT
Richie Hebner3717.000$310kFREE AGENT
Chris Speier3514.000$225k$275kFREE AGENT
Thad Bosley288.000$215k$328kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (9)

PlayerAgeSvc1985198619871988198919901991
Leon Durham275.000$800kFREE AGENT
Lee Smith275.000$670kFREE AGENT
Jody Davis284.000$550kARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryne Sandberg254.000$505kARB 3FREE AGENT
Bob Dernier285.000$406kFREE AGENT
Jay Baller243.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Beard255.000—FREE AGENT
Dave Gumpert273.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chico Walker275.000—FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (14)

PlayerAgeSvc1985198619871988198919901991
Ray Fontenot272.000$200kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Johnny Abrego22–—
Derek Botelho28–—
Brian Dayett282.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Shawon Dunston220.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Engel23–—
Larry Gura37–—
Billy Hatcher241.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Darrin Jackson210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Lake282.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ron Meridith28–—
Dave Owen27–—
Reggie Patterson26–—
Jon Perlman28–—

Graphs

How each 1985 acquisition stacked onto Cubs's playoff-odds curve. The side table is ranked by PPA.

Rosternomics — front-office performance, roster value, and transaction history. Follow @rosternomics on X.
Decision-maker records extend to 1933; resource-controlled WAR and payroll metrics cover 1985–2026. Data sources include FanGraphs, Baseball-Reference, the Chadwick Bureau register, the Lahman Database, prospect rankings from Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and FanGraphs, 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).
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