GM: Dallas Green (since 1981)
| Player | Age | Service | G | fWAR | Salary $M | Surplus $M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Sutcliffe | 31 | FA-elig | 35 | 3.7 | 1.8 | -0.7 |
| Andre Dawson | 32 | FA-elig | 153 | 3.5 | 0.7 | +0.3 |
| Lee Smith | 29 | FA-elig | 63 | 2.9 | 0.8 | -0.0 |
| Ryne Sandberg | 27 | FA-elig | 132 | 2.1 | 0.8 | -0.2 |
| Jamie Moyer | 24 | pre-arb | 39 | 2.0 | 0.1 | +0.5 |
| Jody Davis | 30 | FA-elig | 125 | 1.9 | 1.0 | -0.5 |
| Jerry Mumphrey | 34 | FA-elig | 118 | 1.8 | 0.8 | -0.2 |
| Dave Martinez | 22 | pre-arb | 142 | 1.8 | 0.1 | +0.5 |
| Steve Trout↔ NYY | 29 | FA-elig | 11 | 1.4 | 0.4 | +0.0 |
| Keith Moreland | 33 | FA-elig | 153 | 1.3 | 1.0 | -0.7 |
| Greg Maddux | 21 | – | 34 | 1.2 | – | – |
| Leon Durham | 29 | FA-elig | 131 | 1.2 | 1.2 | -0.8 |
| Les Lancaster | 25 | pre-arb | 27 | 1.1 | 0.1 | +0.3 |
| Scott Sanderson | 30 | FA-elig | 32 | 1.0 | 0.8 | -0.6 |
| Frank DiPino | 30 | FA-elig | 69 | 0.8 | 0.3 | -0.1 |
| Bob Dernier | 30 | FA-elig | 93 | 0.7 | 0.7 | -0.5 |
| Dickie Noles↔ DET | 30 | FA-elig | 41 | 0.6 | 0.1 | +0.1 |
| Manny Trillo | 36 | FA-elig | 108 | 0.5 | 0.3 | -0.2 |
| Rafael Palmeiro | 22 | pre-arb | 84 | 0.4 | 0.1 | +0.0 |
| Brian Dayett | 30 | arb | 97 | 0.2 | 0.1 | -0.0 |
| Darrin Jackson | 24 | – | 7 | 0.2 | – | – |
| Mike Mason↔ TEX | 28 | – | 18 | 0.2 | – | – |
| Ed Lynch | 31 | FA-elig | 58 | 0.1 | 0.6 | -0.5 |
| Bob Tewksbury↔ NYY | 26 | pre-arb | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.0 |
| Jim Sundberg | 36 | FA-elig | 61 | 0.0 | 0.8 | -0.8 |
| Jay Baller | 26 | arb | 23 | -0.0 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| Gary Matthews Sr.↔ SEA | 36 | FA-elig | 44 | -0.0 | 0.4 | -0.4 |
| Drew Hall | 24 | pre-arb | 21 | -0.1 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| Ron Davis↔ LAD | 31 | FA-elig | 21 | -0.2 | 0.2 | -0.3 |
| Wade Rowdon | 26 | – | 11 | -0.2 | – | – |
| Mike Brumley | 24 | – | 39 | -0.4 | – | – |
| Damon Berryhill | 23 | – | 12 | -0.5 | – | – |
| Paul Noce | 27 | – | 70 | -0.6 | – | – |
| Shawon Dunston | 24 | pre-arb | 95 | -0.7 | 0.2 | -0.4 |
| Luis Quinones | 25 | arb | 49 | -0.7 | 0.1 | -0.3 |
| Chico Walker | 29 | – | 47 | -1.2 | – | – |
36 players appeared (WAR is complete); salary & surplus are on record for 28 of them (78%). Players without a salary show "–" — no single historical salary source is fully complete (especially 2020–2022).
WAR = FanGraphs (fWAR). Green = produced more value than paid (bargain); red = paid more than produced. Service: pre-arb (<3 yr) / arb (3–6) / FA-eligible (6+). Click headers to sort.
| Player | Year | WAR for CHC |
|---|---|---|
| Sammy Sosa | 1992 | 60.7 |
| Ryne Sandberg | 1982 | 48.2 |
| Anthony Rizzo | 2012 | 31.1 |
| Aramis Ramírez | 2003 | 25.0 |
| Kyle Hendricks | 2012 | 24.4 |
| Derrek Lee | 2003 | 21.4 |
| Jake Arrieta | 2013 | 19.6 |
| Rick Sutcliffe | 1984 | 17.2 |
| Player | Year traded | WAR elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| Rafael Palmeiro | 1988 | 42.3 |
| Dontrelle Willis | 2002 | 20.7 |
| Dennis Eckersley | 1987 | 19.3 |
| Ricky Nolasco | 2005 | 17.5 |
| Jon Garland | 1998 | 17.2 |
| Chris Archer | 2011 | 16.9 |
| Gleyber Torres | 2016 | 15.9 |
| Josh Donaldson | 2008 | 13.8 |