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Cubs CHC

199676–86 (0.469)
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GM: Ed Lynch

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1996, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$29M
Surplus $M
-2
Win %
0.469
TAB
-1.7
WAB
-4.4
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
31.1
Dead money %
14%
Depth Players
6.0
Dead WAR
-3.8

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1996 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RScott Servais128
LTyler Houston⇄27
RBrian Dorsett15
RMike Hubbard14

1B

LMark Grace141
LBrant Brown18
LTyler Houston⇄12
LDave Magadan10
RLeo Gomez8
LLuis Gonzalez2
RScott Servais1

2B

RRyne Sandberg146
RTodd Haney23
BBret Barberie6
RFelix Fermin6
RTerry Shumpert4
LTyler Houston⇄2
RJosé Hernández1

3B

RLeo Gomez124
LDave Magadan51
RJosé Hernández43
RTerry Shumpert10
LTyler Houston⇄9
RTodd Haney4
BBret Barberie2

SS

RRey Sanchez92
RJosé Hernández87
RTodd Haney3
RFelix Fermin2
BBret Barberie1
RLeo Gomez1
RTerry Shumpert1

LF

LLuis Gonzalez139
LScott Bullett28
ROzzie Timmons25
RDoug Glanville19
LBrooks Kieschnick4

CF

BBrian McRae155
LScott Bullett11
RDoug Glanville9
RJosé Hernández1

RF

RSammy Sosa124
LScott Bullett22
ROzzie Timmons22
LRobin Jennings11
RDoug Glanville8
LBrooks Kieschnick5
LPedro Valdes2

DH

—

Starters

RJaime Navarro3.0 WAR
RFrank Castillo1.6 WAR
RSteve Trachsel1.3 WAR
RJim Bullinger1.1 WAR
RKevin Foster0.6 WAR
RMike Campbell0.1 WAR
RDave Swartzbaugh0.0 WAR
RAmaury Telemaco-0.2 WAR

Bullpen

★ RTurk Wendell18 sv
LBob Patterson0 h
RTerry Adams0 h
RKent Bottenfield0 h
RRodney Myers0 h
LLarry Casian0 h
RDoug Jones⇄0 h
RMike Perez0 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 1995)

PlayerfWAR
Ryne Sandberg3.1
Leo Gomez1.7
Tyler Houston0.7
Kent Bottenfield0.6
Bob Patterson0.6
Dave Magadan0.6

Key subtractions (gone from 1995)

Player1995 fWAR
Rick Wilkins0.9
Shawon Dunston0.5
Randy Myers0.4
Mark Parent0.4
Joe Kmak0.4
Mike Morgan0.3

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 1996; everyone else is shown as a 1996 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Sammy Sosa 1996 +5.5 +89.7 4.8 +85.0 $0.9M 2.05× –
Brian McRae 1996 +3.6 +52.1 3.4 +48.7 $0.9M 1.79× –
Jaime Navarro 1996 +3.0 +46.2 3.6 +42.6 $1.2M 1.96× –
Luis Gonzalez 1996 +2.7 +34.5 1.4 +33.1 $0.5M 1.60× –
Mark Grace 1996 +3.9 +37.0 4.2 +32.8 $1.1M 1.20× –
Ryne Sandberg 1996 +3.1 +26.6 2.3 +24.3 $0.7M 1.07× –
Frank Castillo 1996 +1.6 +18.8 1.6 +17.2 $1.0M 1.49× –
Leo Gomez 1996 +1.7 +11.5 0.6 +11.0 $0.3M 0.85× –
Steve Trachsel 1996 +1.3 +11.0 0.2 +10.8 $0.2M 1.02× –
Scott Servais 1996 +1.8 +10.8 0.8 +10.0 $0.5M 0.76× –
Jim Bullinger 1996 +1.1 +9.2 0.4 +8.8 $0.3M 1.02× –
Bob Patterson 1996 +0.6 +6.4 0.7 +5.7 $1.1M 1.34× –
Kevin Foster 1996 +0.6 +5.0 0.2 +4.8 $0.4M 1.02× –
Terry Adams 1996 +0.8 +4.2 0.1 +4.1 $0.1M 0.67× –
Turk Wendell 1996 +0.4 +4.1 0.2 +3.9 $0.4M 1.34× –
Kent Bottenfield 1996 +0.6 +3.2 0.1 +3.1 $0.2M 0.67× –
Tyler Houston↔ 1996 +0.7 +2.9 0.1 +2.8 $0.1M 0.52× –
Dave Magadan 1996 +0.6 +2.6 0.5 +2.1 $0.9M 0.58× –
Doug Jones↔ 1996 +0.3 +1.6 0.4 +1.2 $1.5M 0.67× –
Mike Campbell 1996 +0.1 +0.6 0.1 +0.5 $1.0M 0.67× –
Brooks Kieschnick 1996 +0.1 +0.3 0.1 +0.2 $1.8M 0.67× –
Ozzie Timmons 1996 +0.0 +0.2 0.1 +0.1 $4.8M 0.83× –
José Hernández 1996 +0.0 +0.2 0.3 -0.1 $6.5M 0.61× –
Mike Perez 1996 +0.1 +0.4 0.5 -0.1 $7.6M 0.67× –
Larry Casian 1996 +0.0 +0.1 0.3 -0.2 $14.2M 0.67× –
Rey Sanchez 1996 +0.1 +0.6 1.2 -0.6 $10.4M 0.61× –
Terry Shumpert 1996 -0.1 -0.4 0.1 -0.6 – 0.58× –
Rodney Myers 1996 -0.1 -0.7 0.1 -0.8 – 0.67× –
Brian Dorsett 1996 -0.2 -0.7 0.2 -0.9 – 0.52× –
Amaury Telemaco 1996 -0.2 -1.4 0.1 -1.5 – 1.02× –
Mike Hubbard 1996 -0.4 -1.7 0.1 -1.8 – 0.52× –
Scott Bullett 1996 -0.4 -2.5 0.2 -2.7 – 0.83× –
Todd Haney 1996 -1.2 -5.4 0.1 -5.5 – 0.56× –
Brant Brown 1996 +0.5 +2.4 – – – 0.56× –
Bret Barberie 1996 -0.0 -0.1 – – – 0.56× –
Dave Swartzbaugh 1996 +0.0 +0.3 – – – 1.02× –
Doug Glanville 1996 +0.1 +0.7 – – – 0.83× –
Felix Fermin 1996 -0.2 -1.1 – – – 0.56× –
Pedro Valdes 1996 -0.1 -0.4 – – – 0.83× –
Robin Jennings 1996 -0.7 -4.6 – – – 0.83× –
Tanyon Sturtze 1996 -0.2 -1.1 – – – 0.67× –
Total—+31.1+363.129.1+338.0—

Trades

Every graded 1996 deal involving the Cubs — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 3 total.

1996 · ATL / CHC
ATL · John Schuerholz +$4.0M
Ismael Villegas
CHC · Ed Lynch −$4.0M
Tyler Houston
ATL came out ahead by $4.0M
1996 · CHC / NYM
CHC · Ed Lynch +$2.4M
Chris DeWitt
NYM · Joe McIlvaine −$2.4M
Matt Franco
CHC came out ahead by $2.4M
1996 · TOR / CHC
TOR · Gord Ash +$0.8M
Jason Stevenson
CHC · Ed Lynch −$0.8M
Miguel Cairo
TOR came out ahead by $0.8M

Current & Historical Payroll

1996 payroll
$29.1M

What the front office was committed to as of 1996, 1996–2002. 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 (16)

PlayerAgeSvc1996199719981999200020012002
Sammy Sosa277.000$4.8M$5.5M$8.3M$9.0M$11.0M$12.5M$15.0M
Mark Grace328.000$4.2M$4.5M$4.2M$4.1M$5.3MFREE AGENT
Jaime Navarro297.000$3.6MFREE AGENT
Brian McRae286.000$3.4M$2.8MFREE AGENT
Ryne Sandberg3615.000$2.3M$3.2MFREE AGENT
Luis Gonzalez286.000$1.4MFREE AGENT
Bob Patterson3711.000$675k$1.1M$900kFREE AGENT
Leo Gomez306.000$550kFREE AGENT
Mike Perez316.000$500kFREE AGENT
Dave Magadan3310.000$500kFREE AGENT
Doug Jones3914.000$444kFREE AGENT
Larry Casian306.000$275k$255kFREE AGENT
Brian Dorsett359.000$210kFREE AGENT
Terry Shumpert296.000$150kFREE AGENT
Mike Campbell329.000$125kFREE AGENT
Felix Fermin329.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (12)

PlayerAgeSvc1996199719981999200020012002
Frank Castillo275.000$1.6MFREE AGENT
Rey Sanchez285.000$1.2MFREE AGENT
Scott Servais295.000$822kFREE AGENT
Jim Bullinger304.000$385kARB 3FREE AGENT
José Hernández265.000$253kFREE AGENT
Kevin Foster273.000$230kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Trachsel253.000$220kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Turk Wendell293.000$160kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Bullett275.000$160kFREE AGENT
Todd Haney304.000$128kARB 3FREE AGENT
Kent Bottenfield274.000$111kARB 3FREE AGENT
Bret Barberie285.000—FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (13)

PlayerAgeSvc1996199719981999200020012002
Ozzie Timmons251.000$150kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Terry Adams231.000$113kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Hubbard251.000$112kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brooks Kieschnick240.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rodney Myers270.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Amaury Telemaco220.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Houston250.000$63kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brant Brown250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Doug Glanville250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Robin Jennings240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tanyon Sturtze251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Swartzbaugh281.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Pedro Valdes230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1996 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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