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Cubs CHC

200897–64 (0.602)Made Playoffs
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GM: Jim Hendry

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 2008, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$129M
Surplus $M
-18
Win %
0.602
TAB
+11.8
WAB
+10.7
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
50.4
Dead money %
14%
Depth Players
12.0
Dead WAR
-1.8

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

2008 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RGeovany Soto136
RHenry Blanco45
BKoyie Hill9

1B

RDerrek Lee153
LDaryle Ward13
LMicah Hoffpauir6
RHenry Blanco1
RMark DeRosa1

2B

RMark DeRosa95
LMike Fontenot82
RRonny Cedeno43
RAlfonso Soriano1

3B

RAramis Ramirez147
RMark DeRosa22
RRonny Cedeno7
RCasey McGehee6

SS

RRyan Theriot149
RRonny Cedeno27
LMike Fontenot1
RMark DeRosa1

LF

RAlfonso Soriano108
RMark DeRosa27
RReed Johnson26
LMicah Hoffpauir7
LDaryle Ward6
LFelix Pie1
RRonny Cedeno1

CF

LJim Edmonds⇄103
RReed Johnson78
LFelix Pie39
LKosuke Fukudome12
LEric Patterson⇄1
RRonny Cedeno1

RF

LKosuke Fukudome137
RMark DeRosa38
RReed Johnson6
LMicah Hoffpauir5
LDaryle Ward3
RMatt Murton⇄2

DH

RGeovany Soto3
RDerrek Lee2
LDaryle Ward1
RAramis Ramirez1
LKosuke Fukudome1
LMicah Hoffpauir1

Starters

RRyan Dempster4.8 WAR
RCarlos Zambrano4.3 WAR
LTed Lilly3.0 WAR
RJason Marquis2.2 WAR
RRich Harden⇄1.9 WAR
LSean Marshall0.9 WAR
RSean Gallagher⇄0.7 WAR
RAngel Guzman0.1 WAR
LRich Hill-0.1 WAR
RJon Lieber-0.1 WAR

Bullpen

★ RKerry Wood34 sv
RCarlos Marmol30 h
RBob Howry15 h
LNeal Cotts9 h
RChad Gaudin⇄4 h
RMichael Wuertz3 h
RJon Lieber3 h
RJeff Samardzija3 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 2007)

PlayerfWAR
Rich Harden1.9
Jim Edmonds1.5
Reed Johnson1.4
Kosuke Fukudome1.4
Jeff Samardzija0.5
Micah Hoffpauir0.4

Key subtractions (gone from 2007)

Player2007 fWAR
Jacque Jones0.8
Cliff Floyd0.7
Will Ohman0.5
Ángel Pagán0.5
Michael Barrett0.3
Rocky Cherry0.2

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 2008; everyone else is shown as a 2008 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Ryan Dempster 2008 +4.8 +84.2 7.3 +76.9 $1.5M 2.19× –
Carlos Zambrano 2008 +4.3 +76.1 16.0 +60.1 $3.7M 2.19× –
Alfonso Soriano 2008 +3.8 +54.8 14.0 +40.8 $3.7M 1.79× –
Ted Lilly 2008 +3.0 +46.3 8.0 +38.3 $2.7M 1.96× –
Mark DeRosa 2008 +4.2 +40.1 4.8 +35.3 $1.1M 1.20× –
Aramis Ramirez 2008 +4.5 +45.1 15.0 +30.1 $3.3M 1.25× –
Kerry Wood 2008 +2.1 +33.5 4.2 +29.3 $2.0M 1.95× –
Ryan Theriot 2008 +3.0 +28.3 0.4 +27.9 $0.1M 1.18× –
Mike Fontenot 2008 +3.1 +26.9 0.4 +26.5 $0.1M 1.07× –
Geovany Soto 2008 +2.8 +22.3 0.4 +21.9 $0.1M 1.00× –
Rich Harden↔ 2008 +1.9 +22.6 2.3 +20.3 $1.2M 1.49× –
Jason Marquis 2008 +2.2 +26.3 6.4 +20.0 $2.9M 1.49× –
Carlos Marmol 2008 +1.4 +15.0 0.4 +14.6 $0.3M 1.34× –
Reed Johnson 2008 +1.4 +9.6 1.3 +8.3 $0.9M 0.83× –
Jim Edmonds↔ 2008 +1.5 +9.9 6.1 +3.8 $4.1M 0.83× –
Derrek Lee 2008 +2.4 +15.8 13.2 +2.5 $5.5M 0.81× –
Kosuke Fukudome 2008 +1.4 +9.3 7.0 +2.3 $5.0M 0.83× –
Jeff Samardzija 2008 +0.5 +2.6 2.0 +0.6 $4.1M 0.67× –
Angel Guzman 2008 +0.1 +0.8 0.4 +0.4 $2.8M 0.67× –
Michael Wuertz 2008 +0.1 +0.7 0.9 -0.1 $6.3M 0.67× –
Neal Cotts 2008 +0.1 +0.6 0.8 -0.2 $7.4M 0.67× –
Ronny Cedeno 2008 +0.0 +0.2 0.4 -0.3 $11.8M 0.56× –
Henry Blanco 2008 +0.6 +2.6 3.2 -0.6 $5.1M 0.52× –
Scott Eyre↔ 2008 +0.2 +1.2 1.9 -0.7 $8.4M 0.67× –
Kevin Hart 2008 -0.1 -0.5 0.4 -0.9 – 0.67× –
Carmen Pignatiello 2008 -0.1 -0.6 0.4 -1.0 – 0.67× –
Chad Gaudin↔ 2008 -0.0 -0.2 0.9 -1.0 – 0.67× –
Rich Hill 2008 -0.1 -0.6 0.4 -1.1 – 1.02× –
Felix Pie 2008 -0.2 -1.2 0.4 -1.6 – 0.83× –
Bob Howry 2008 +0.2 +2.6 4.5 -1.9 $18.7M 1.34× –
Daryle Ward 2008 -0.2 -0.9 1.2 -2.1 – 0.56× –
Koyie Hill 2008 -0.5 -2.1 0.5 -2.6 – 0.52× –
Jon Lieber 2008 -0.1 -0.7 3.5 -4.2 – 0.67× –
Casey McGehee 2008 -0.1 -0.5 – – – 0.58× –
Chad Fox 2008 -0.2 -1.2 – – – 0.67× –
Eric Patterson↔ 2008 +0.1 +0.8 – – – 0.83× –
Jose Ascanio 2008 -0.1 -0.7 – – – 0.67× –
Matt Murton↔ 2008 +0.0 +0.0 – – – 0.83× –
Micah Hoffpauir 2008 +0.4 +2.9 – – – 0.83× –
Randy Wells↔ 2008 +0.0 +0.1 – – – 0.67× –
Sean Gallagher↔ 2008 +0.7 +5.9 – – – 1.02× –
Sean Marshall 2008 +0.9 +4.8 – – – 0.67× –
Total—+50.0+582.7129.0+441.6—

Trades

Every graded 2008 deal involving the Cubs — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 6 total.

2008 · CHC / PHI
CHC · Jim Hendry +$7.2M
Brian Schlitter
PHI · Pat Gillick −$7.2M
Scott Eyre
CHC came out ahead by $7.2M
2008 · MIA / CHC
MIA · Larry Beinfest +$7.2M
José Ceda
CHC · Jim Hendry −$7.2M
Kevin Gregg
MIA came out ahead by $7.2M
2008 · CHC / WSN
CHC · Jim Hendry +$0.0M
Ryan Buchter
WSN · Jim Bowden +$0.0M
Matt Avery
Even trade
2008 · CLE / CHC
CLE · Mark Shapiro +$1.6M
Mark DeRosa
CHC · Jim Hendry −$1.6M
Jeff Stevens, Chris Archer, John Gaub
CLE came out ahead by $1.6M
2008 · NYM / CHC
NYM · Omar Minaya +$77.6M
Ángel Pagán
CHC · Jim Hendry −$77.6M
Corey Coles, Ryan Meyers
NYM came out ahead by $77.6M
2008 · OAK / CHC
OAK · Billy Beane +$94.4M
Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson, Josh Donaldson
CHC · Jim Hendry −$94.4M
Rich Harden, Chad Gaudin
OAK came out ahead by $94.4M

Current & Historical Payroll

2008 payroll
$129.0M

What the front office was committed to as of 2008, 2008–2014. 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)

PlayerAgeSvc2008200920102011201220132014
Carlos Zambrano277.000$16.0M$18.8M$18.9M$18.9MFREE AGENT
Aramis Ramirez3010.000$15.0M$16.6M$16.8M$14.6MFREE AGENT
Alfonso Soriano329.000$14.0M$17.0M$19.0M$19.0M$18.0M$11.1MFREE AGENT
Derrek Lee3211.000$13.2M$13.2M$9.8MFREE AGENT
Ted Lilly329.000$8.0M$13.0M$7.8MFREE AGENT
Ryan Dempster3110.000$7.3M$9.0M$13.5M$13.5M$8.0MFREE AGENT
Jason Marquis298.000$6.4MFREE AGENT
Jim Edmonds3815.000$6.1MFREE AGENT
Mark DeRosa3310.000$4.8MFREE AGENT
Bob Howry3410.000$4.5MFREE AGENT$1.3M
Kerry Wood3110.000$4.2MFREE AGENT$1.5M$3.0M
Jon Lieber3814.000$3.5MFREE AGENT
Henry Blanco3611.000$3.2MFREE AGENT
Scott Eyre3611.000$1.9MFREE AGENT
Daryle Ward3310.000$1.2MFREE AGENT
Chad Fox3711.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (12)

PlayerAgeSvc2008200920102011201220132014
Rich Harden265.000$2.3MFREE AGENT
Reed Johnson315.000$1.3MFREE AGENT
Michael Wuertz294.000$860kARB 3FREE AGENT
Chad Gaudin255.000$852kFREE AGENT
Neal Cotts285.000$800kFREE AGENT
Koyie Hill295.000$475kFREE AGENT
Rich Hill283.000$445kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan Theriot283.000$428kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ronny Cedeno253.000$407kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Fontenot283.000$405kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Geovany Soto253.000$401kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Murton263.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (14)

PlayerAgeSvc2008200920102011201220132014
Kosuke Fukudome310.000$7.0MPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Samardzija230.000$2.0MPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Marmol252.000$430kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Felix Pie231.000$402kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Angel Guzman262.000$401kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Hart251.000$392kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carmen Pignatiello251.000$392kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Casey McGehee250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sean Marshall252.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Randy Wells250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Ascanio231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sean Gallagher221.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Micah Hoffpauir280.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eric Patterson251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 2008 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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