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Cubs CHC

199077–85 (0.475)
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GM: Jim Frey

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1990, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$15M
Surplus $M
-4
Win %
0.475
TAB
-9.9
WAB
-3.2
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
22.6
Dead money %
49%
Depth Players
5.0
Dead WAR
-7.4

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1990 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RJoe Girardi133
RHector Villanueva23
RRick Wrona16
BDamon Berryhill15
RLloyd McClendon⇄8

1B

LMark Grace153
RHector Villanueva14
RLloyd McClendon⇄8

2B

RRyne Sandberg154
BCurtis Wilkerson14
BGreg Smith7
RDomingo Ramos1

3B

RLuis Salazar91
RDomingo Ramos66
BCurtis Wilkerson52

SS

RShawon Dunston144
RDomingo Ramos21
BGreg Smith7
BCurtis Wilkerson1

LF

BDoug Dascenzo64
LDwight Smith59
LDave Clark39
RLuis Salazar28
LDerrick May17
LMarvell Wynne12
LGary Varsho2
BCurtis Wilkerson1
RLes Lancaster1

CF

RJerome Walton98
LMarvell Wynne54
BDoug Dascenzo38
LDwight Smith3

RF

RAndre Dawson139
BDoug Dascenzo22
LDwight Smith22
LMarvell Wynne4
LGary Varsho1

DH

—

Starters

RGreg Maddux4.9 WAR
RMike Harkey2.7 WAR
RMike Bielecki1.8 WAR
RShawn Boskie1.5 WAR
LPaul Assenmacher1.3 WAR
LSteve Wilson1.2 WAR
RJeff Pico0.7 WAR
RLes Lancaster0.4 WAR
RJose Nunez0.3 WAR
RKevin Blankenship-0.0 WAR
LLance Dickson-0.0 WAR
RRick Sutcliffe0.0 WAR
LMitch Williams-0.1 WAR
RKevin Coffman-0.1 WAR
RRandy Kramer⇄-0.3 WAR

Bullpen

★ LMitch Williams16 sv
LPaul Assenmacher0 h
RBill Long⇄0 h
LJoe Kraemer0 h
RDave Pavlas0 h
RRandy Kramer⇄0 h
RKevin Coffman0 h
RDean Wilkins0 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 1989)

PlayerfWAR
Mike Harkey2.7
Shawn Boskie1.5
Hector Villanueva0.7
Jose Antonio Nunez0.3
Dave Pavlas0.1
Lance Dickson-0.0

Key subtractions (gone from 1989)

Player1989 fWAR
Scott Sanderson1.3
Mitch Webster1.2
Paul Kilgus1.0
Vance Law0.2
Pat Perry0.1
Darrin Jackson-0.0

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 1990; everyone else is shown as a 1990 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Greg Maddux 1990 +4.9 +86.7 0.4 +86.2 $0.1M 2.19× –
Ryne Sandberg 1990 +6.3 +69.9 1.6 +68.3 $0.2M 1.38× –
Mike Harkey 1990 +2.7 +42.0 0.1 +41.9 $0.0M 1.96× –
Mark Grace 1990 +3.5 +29.7 0.3 +29.4 $0.1M 1.07× –
Mike Bielecki 1990 +1.8 +21.9 0.7 +21.2 $0.4M 1.49× –
Andre Dawson 1990 +2.3 +22.1 2.1 +20.0 $0.9M 1.22× –
Paul Assenmacher 1990 +1.3 +13.5 0.5 +13.1 $0.4M 1.34× –
Shawn Boskie 1990 +1.5 +12.0 0.1 +11.9 $0.1M 1.02× –
Steve Wilson 1990 +1.2 +6.3 0.1 +6.1 $0.1M 0.67× –
Joe Girardi 1990 +1.0 +4.3 0.1 +4.2 $0.1M 0.52× –
Les Lancaster 1990 +0.4 +3.9 0.3 +3.6 $0.8M 1.34× –
Jeff Pico 1990 +0.7 +3.6 0.1 +3.5 $0.2M 0.67× –
Shawon Dunston 1990 +0.9 +4.6 1.2 +3.4 $1.3M 0.61× –
Hector Villanueva 1990 +0.7 +3.0 0.1 +2.9 $0.1M 0.52× –
Jose Antonio Nunez 1990 +0.3 +1.4 0.1 +1.2 $0.5M 0.67× –
Luis Salazar 1990 +0.3 +1.5 0.6 +1.0 $1.7M 0.58× –
Doug Dascenzo 1990 +0.1 +0.6 0.1 +0.5 $1.1M 0.83× –
Kevin Blankenship 1990 -0.0 -0.2 0.1 -0.3 – 1.02× –
Lance Dickson 1990 -0.0 -0.3 0.1 -0.4 – 1.02× –
Kevin Coffman 1990 -0.1 -0.4 0.1 -0.5 – 0.67× –
Gary Varsho 1990 -0.1 -0.5 0.1 -0.6 – 0.83× –
Joe Kraemer 1990 -0.1 -0.5 0.1 -0.6 – 0.67× –
Rick Wrona 1990 -0.2 -0.9 0.1 -1.0 – 0.52× –
Dean Wilkins 1990 -0.2 -1.0 0.1 -1.1 – 0.67× –
Damon Berryhill 1990 -0.3 -1.2 0.2 -1.4 – 0.52× –
Randy Kramer↔ 1990 -0.3 -1.3 0.1 -1.4 – 0.67× –
Dwight Smith 1990 -0.2 -1.5 0.2 -1.7 – 0.83× –
Dave Clark 1990 -0.2 -1.6 0.2 -1.8 – 0.83× –
Rick Sutcliffe 1990 +0.0 +0.1 1.9 -1.8 $157.3M 1.02× –
Mitch Williams 1990 -0.1 -1.2 1.1 -2.4 – 1.34× –
Domingo Ramos 1990 -0.8 -3.8 0.3 -4.1 – 0.58× –
Lloyd McClendon↔ 1990 -1.0 -4.4 0.2 -4.6 – 0.56× –
Marvell Wynne 1990 -0.7 -4.5 0.5 -5.0 – 0.83× –
Bill Long↔ 1990 -0.5 -4.8 0.2 -5.1 – 1.34× –
Jerome Walton 1990 -0.7 -4.9 0.2 -5.1 – 0.83× –
Curtis Wilkerson 1990 -1.2 -5.4 0.4 -5.8 – 0.58× –
Dave Pavlas 1990 +0.1 +0.6 – – – 0.67× –
Derrick May 1990 -0.3 -2.1 – – – 0.83× –
Greg Smith 1990 -0.4 -2.0 – – – 0.56× –
Total—+22.6+285.214.7+273.7—

Trades

Every graded 1990 deal involving the Cubs — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 5 total.

1990 · CHW / CHC
CHW · Larry Himes +$4.8M
Frank Campos
CHC · Jim Frey −$4.8M
Bill Long
CHW came out ahead by $4.8M
1990 · CHC / LAD
CHC · Jim Frey +$5.6M
José Vizcaíno
LAD · Fred Claire −$5.6M
Greg Smith
CHC came out ahead by $5.6M
1990 · CHC / TEX
CHC · Jim Frey +$0.0M
Rey Sánchez
TEX · Tom Grieve +$0.0M
Bryan House
Even trade
1990 · CHC / PIT
CHC · Jim Frey +$8.0M
Mike Pomeranz
PIT · Larry Doughty −$8.0M
Lloyd McClendon
CHC came out ahead by $8.0M
1990 · PIT / CHC
PIT · Larry Doughty +$3.2M
Greg Kallevig
CHC · Jim Frey −$3.2M
Randy Kramer
PIT came out ahead by $3.2M

Current & Historical Payroll

1990 payroll
$14.8M

What the front office was committed to as of 1990, 1990–1996. 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 (8)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Andre Dawson3514.000$2.1M$3.3M$3.3MFREE AGENT
Rick Sutcliffe3414.000$1.9M$2.3MFREE AGENT
Ryne Sandberg309.000$1.6MFREE AGENT$2.1M$6.0M$6.0M$2.3M
Mike Bielecki306.000$675k$770kFREE AGENT
Luis Salazar3410.000$550k$575k$600kFREE AGENT
Marvell Wynne307.000$525kFREE AGENT
Curtis Wilkerson297.000$400kFREE AGENT
Domingo Ramos3212.000$310kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (11)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Shawon Dunston275.000$1.2MFREE AGENT
Mitch Williams254.000$1.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Paul Assenmacher294.000$450kARB 3FREE AGENT
Greg Maddux244.000$438kARB 3FREE AGENT
Les Lancaster283.000$300kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill Long305.000$235kFREE AGENT
Damon Berryhill263.000$200kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Clark274.000$195kARB 3FREE AGENT
Lloyd McClendon313.000$194kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Antonio Nunez263.000$125kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Coffman253.000$100kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (20)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Mark Grace262.000$325kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jerome Walton241.000$185kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dwight Smith261.000$165kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Wilson252.000$148kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Pico242.000$120kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joe Girardi251.000$115kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gary Varsho292.000$105kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Harkey232.000$104kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dean Wilkins231.000$104kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Blankenship272.000$100kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Doug Dascenzo262.000$100kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joe Kraemer251.000$100kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Shawn Boskie230.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lance Dickson200.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Hector Villanueva250.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick Wrona262.000$100kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Randy Kramer292.000$68kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Derrick May210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Pavlas270.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Greg Smith231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1990 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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