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Cubs CHC

198670–90 (0.438)
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GM: Dallas Green

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1986, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$16M
Surplus $M
-9
Win %
0.438
TAB
-13.2
WAB
-15.6
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
25.3
Dead money %
40%
Depth Players
5.0
Dead WAR
-5.0

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1986 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RJody Davis145
RKeith Moreland13
RSteve Lake⇄10
LMike Martin8
LSteve Christmas1

1B

LLeon Durham141
LTerry Francona23
RKeith Moreland12
RManny Trillo11
RJody Davis1
LSteve Christmas1

2B

RRyne Sandberg153
RChris Speier7
RManny Trillo6

3B

RRon Cey77
RChris Speier53
RManny Trillo53
RDavey Lopes⇄36
RKeith Moreland24

SS

RShawon Dunston149
RChris Speier23

LF

RGary Matthews Sr.105
BJerry Mumphrey39
LThad Bosley32
RDavey Lopes⇄30
LTerry Francona20
LRafael Palmeiro19
RBrian Dayett15
LDave Martinez9
BChico Walker2

CF

RBob Dernier105
BJerry Mumphrey65
LDave Martinez39
BChico Walker11
LTerry Francona2
LThad Bosley2
RBrian Dayett1

RF

RKeith Moreland121
BChico Walker22
BJerry Mumphrey21
RBrian Dayett12
LTerry Francona10
LThad Bosley8
RDavey Lopes⇄3
LRafael Palmeiro3
LDave Martinez1

DH

—

Starters

RDennis Eckersley3.9 WAR
RScott Sanderson2.3 WAR
LSteve Trout2.1 WAR
RRick Sutcliffe1.9 WAR
REd Lynch⇄1.2 WAR
LGuy Hoffman0.9 WAR
RGreg Maddux0.5 WAR
LJamie Moyer0.4 WAR
LDrew Hall0.3 WAR
RMatt Keough⇄0.1 WAR

Bullpen

★ RLee Smith31 sv
LRay Fontenot⇄0 h
RDave Gumpert0 h
RJay Baller0 h
RGeorge Frazier⇄0 h
LFrank DiPino⇄0 h
RMatt Keough⇄0 h
RRon Davis⇄0 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 1985)

PlayerfWAR
Ed Lynch1.2
Guy Hoffman0.9
Greg Maddux0.5
Jamie Moyer0.4
Drew Hall0.3
Frank DiPino0.3

Key subtractions (gone from 1985)

Player1985 fWAR
Reggie Patterson0.7
Larry Bowa0.6
Gary Woods0.3
Ron Meridith0.0
Lary Sorensen0.0
Dave Owen0.0

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 1986; everyone else is shown as a 1986 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Dennis Eckersley 1986 +3.9 +68.6 0.8 +67.8 $0.2M 2.19× –
Jody Davis 1986 +4.2 +37.5 0.8 +36.7 $0.2M 1.12× –
Lee Smith 1986 +1.8 +27.6 0.7 +26.9 $0.4M 1.95× –
Scott Sanderson 1986 +2.3 +27.2 0.8 +26.4 $0.3M 1.49× –
Ryne Sandberg 1986 +3.0 +25.7 0.7 +25.0 $0.2M 1.07× –
Steve Trout 1986 +2.1 +25.2 0.9 +24.3 $0.4M 1.49× –
Rick Sutcliffe 1986 +1.9 +22.9 1.5 +21.4 $0.8M 1.49× –
Davey Lopes↔ 1986 +1.8 +12.4 0.3 +12.1 $0.2M 0.85× –
Ed Lynch↔ 1986 +1.2 +10.0 0.5 +9.5 $0.4M 1.02× –
Ron Cey 1986 +1.6 +10.6 1.4 +9.2 $0.9M 0.85× –
Chris Speier 1986 +0.9 +4.2 0.3 +4.0 $0.3M 0.58× –
Shawon Dunston 1986 +0.7 +3.4 0.1 +3.3 $0.1M 0.61× –
Jamie Moyer 1986 +0.4 +3.0 0.1 +2.9 $0.2M 1.02× –
Dave Gumpert 1986 +0.4 +2.4 0.1 +2.3 $0.1M 0.67× –
Leon Durham 1986 +0.7 +3.2 1.0 +2.2 $1.4M 0.56× –
Thad Bosley 1986 +0.3 +2.3 0.3 +2.0 $0.9M 0.83× –
Frank DiPino↔ 1986 +0.3 +1.5 0.1 +1.3 $0.5M 0.67× –
Steve Lake↔ 1986 +0.2 +0.9 0.0 +0.9 $0.1M 0.52× –
Matt Keough↔ 1986 +0.1 +0.8 0.1 +0.7 $0.4M 0.67× –
Gary Matthews Sr. 1986 +0.2 +1.3 0.8 +0.4 $4.5M 0.83× –
Manny Trillo 1986 +0.2 +1.0 0.6 +0.4 $2.6M 0.58× –
Ray Fontenot↔ 1986 +0.0 +0.0 0.2 -0.2 $72.4M 0.67× –
Ron Davis↔ 1986 -0.0 -0.1 0.2 -0.3 – 0.67× –
Mike Martin 1986 -0.3 -1.1 0.1 -1.1 – 0.52× –
George Frazier↔ 1986 -0.2 -1.1 0.4 -1.5 – 0.67× –
Jerry Mumphrey 1986 -0.1 -0.8 0.8 -1.6 – 0.83× –
Terry Francona 1986 -0.4 -1.6 0.2 -1.8 – 0.56× –
Dick Ruthven 1986 -0.4 -2.1 1.1 -3.1 – 0.67× –
Bob Dernier 1986 -0.8 -5.2 0.6 -5.7 – 0.83× –
Keith Moreland 1986 -1.0 -6.9 0.8 -7.6 – 0.83× –
Brian Dayett 1986 +0.3 +1.7 – – – 0.83× –
Chico Walker 1986 -0.2 -1.6 – – – 0.83× –
Dave Martinez 1986 -1.2 -7.8 – – – 0.83× –
Drew Hall 1986 +0.3 +2.6 – – – 1.02× –
Greg Maddux 1986 +0.5 +4.0 – – – 1.02× –
Guy Hoffman 1986 +0.9 +4.8 – – – 0.67× –
Jay Baller 1986 -0.3 -3.5 – – – 1.34× –
Rafael Palmeiro 1986 -0.0 -0.2 – – – 0.83× –
Steve Christmas 1986 -0.1 -0.5 – – – 0.56× –
Total—+25.2+272.316.3+256.8—

Trades

Every graded 1986 deal involving the Cubs — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 7 total.

1986 · NYM / CHC
NYM · Frank Cashen +$5.6M
Dave Lenderman, Dave Liddell
CHC · Dallas Green −$5.6M
Ed Lynch
NYM came out ahead by $5.6M
1986 · MIN / CHC
MIN · Andy MacPhail +$1.6M
George Frazier, Ray Fontenot, Julius McDougal
CHC · Dallas Green −$1.6M
Ron Davis, Dewayne Coleman
MIN came out ahead by $1.6M
1986 · OAK / CHC
OAK · Sandy Alderson +$2.4M
John Cox, Gary Jones
CHC · Dallas Green −$2.4M
Phil Stephenson, Bob Bathe
OAK came out ahead by $2.4M
1986 · CHC / TEX
CHC · Dallas Green +$4.0M
Bryan Dial, Rich Surhoff
TEX · Tom Grieve −$4.0M
Ron Meridith
CHC came out ahead by $4.0M
1986 · MIL / CHC
MIL · Harry Dalton +$2.4M
Rick Rembielak, Larry Whitford
CHC · Dallas Green −$2.4M
Mike Martin
MIL came out ahead by $2.4M
1986 · CHC / HOU
CHC · Dallas Green +$6.4M
Frank DiPino
HOU · Dick Wagner −$6.4M
Davey Lopes
CHC came out ahead by $6.4M
1986 · OAK / CHC
OAK · Sandy Alderson +$0.0M
Joe Hicks
CHC · Dallas Green +$0.0M
Bill Bathe
Even trade

Current & Historical Payroll

1986 payroll
$16.2M

What the front office was committed to as of 1986, 1986–1992. 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 (22)

PlayerAgeSvc1986198719881989199019911992
Rick Sutcliffe3010.000$1.5M$1.8M$2.1M$2.3M$1.9M$2.3MFREE AGENT
Ron Cey3815.000$1.4MFREE AGENT
Dick Ruthven3513.000$1.1MFREE AGENT
Leon Durham286.000$983k$1.2M$738kFREE AGENT
Steve Trout288.000$890k$498kFREE AGENT
Jerry Mumphrey3312.000$850k$750k$608kFREE AGENT
Gary Matthews Sr.3514.000$850k$445kFREE AGENT
Scott Sanderson298.000$800k$850k$950k$800kFREE AGENT
Dennis Eckersley3111.000$783kFREE AGENT
Keith Moreland328.000$760k$1.0MFREE AGENT
Lee Smith286.000$720k$840kFREE AGENT
Bob Dernier296.000$558k$708kFREE AGENT
Manny Trillo3513.000$550k$290k$357kFREE AGENT
Ed Lynch306.000$508k$550kFREE AGENT
George Frazier318.000$443kFREE AGENT
Thad Bosley299.000$328kFREE AGENT
Davey Lopes4114.000$301kFREE AGENT
Chris Speier3615.000$275kFREE AGENT
Ron Davis308.000$233k$239kFREE AGENT
Matt Keough309.000$66kFREE AGENT
Guy Hoffman297.000—FREE AGENT
Chico Walker286.000—FREE AGENT$234k

Arbitration-eligible (9)

PlayerAgeSvc1986198719881989199019911992
Jody Davis295.000$833kFREE AGENT
Ryne Sandberg265.000$665kFREE AGENT
Terry Francona275.000$250kFREE AGENT
Ray Fontenot283.000$177kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Frank DiPino295.000$138kFREE AGENT
Dave Gumpert284.000$64kARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Lake293.000$17kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jay Baller254.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Dayett293.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (8)

PlayerAgeSvc1986198719881989199019911992
Shawon Dunston231.000$100kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Martin270.000$60kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jamie Moyer230.000$60kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Christmas28–—
Drew Hall230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Greg Maddux200.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Martinez210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rafael Palmeiro210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1986 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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