RRosternomics
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White Sox CHW

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GM: Ron Schueler

Overview

CONTEND → steady
expensive & winning · year 1 in this regime · payroll 1.32× league · TAB +8.3
+8.3TAB — talent above budget6th/28
+8.4WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)6th/28
10.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars5th/28
-4.9dead WAR — sub-replacement drag12th/28
26%dead money %9th/28
0.580win %5th/28
46.0roster fWAR5th/28
-3surplus $M (value vs cost)12th/28
$42Mpayroll $M5th/28

1993: made playoffs · 94–68. Ranks are vs the 28 teams that season.

Roster

CFLance Johnson 146GEllis Burks 21GMike Huff 8G
LFTim Raines Sr. 112GMike Huff 31GBo Jackson 28G
RFEllis Burks 132GDan Pasqua 26GBo Jackson 19G
SSOzzie Guillen 133GCraig Grebeck 46G
2BJoey Cora 151GCraig Grebeck 16GNorberto Martin 5G
3BRobin Ventura 155GCraig Grebeck 14GJoey Cora 3G
1BFrank Thomas 150GDan Pasqua 32GRobin Ventura 4G
STARTERSJack McDowell 5.2WARAlex Fernandez 4.1WARWilson Alvarez 2.7WARJason Bere 2.1WARKirk McCaskill 1.1WAR
CRon Karkovice 127GMichael LaValliere 38GCarlton Fisk 25G
DHGeorge Bell 102GBo Jackson 32GIvan Calderon 20G
BULLPEN★ Roberto Hernandez 38svScott Radinsky 0hJeff Schwarz 0hJose DeLeon 0hChuck Cary 0hTerry Leach 0hBarry Jones 0hBrian Drahman 0h
CRon Karkovice 127 · Michael LaValliere 38 · Carlton Fisk 25
1BFrank Thomas 150 · Dan Pasqua 32 · Robin Ventura 4
2BJoey Cora 151 · Craig Grebeck 16 · Norberto Martin 5
3BRobin Ventura 155 · Craig Grebeck 14 · Joey Cora 3
SSOzzie Guillen 133 · Craig Grebeck 46
LFTim Raines Sr. 112 · Mike Huff 31 · Bo Jackson 28
CFLance Johnson 146 · Ellis Burks 21 · Mike Huff 8
RFEllis Burks 132 · Dan Pasqua 26 · Bo Jackson 19
DHGeorge Bell 102 · Bo Jackson 32 · Ivan Calderon 20
SPJack McDowell 5.2 · Alex Fernandez 4.1 · Wilson Alvarez 2.7 · Jason Bere 2.1 · Kirk McCaskill 1.1
BP★ Roberto Hernandez 38 · Scott Radinsky 0 · Jeff Schwarz 0 · Jose DeLeon 0 · Chuck Cary 0 · Terry Leach 0 · Barry Jones 0 · Brian Drahman 0

Each position lists its starter then backups by games (so platoons & bench show). Starters (mound) & bullpen (left, foul territory) are ranked by WAR; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.

1993 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Frank Thomas 25 arb 1536.3 1.1 +4.0
Robin Ventura 25 arb 1575.5 1.8 +2.7
Jack McDowell 27 FA-elig 345.2 4.0 +0.2
Lance Johnson 29 FA-elig 1474.7 2.3 +1.6
Alex Fernandez 23 arb 344.1 0.9 +2.5
Tim Raines Sr. 33 FA-elig 1153.3 3.5 -0.8
Ron Karkovice 29 FA-elig 1283.0 1.6 +0.9
Wilson Alvarez 23 arb 312.7 0.2 +2.0
Ellis Burks 28 FA-elig 1462.7 2.0 +0.2
Jason Bere 22 pre-arb 242.1 0.1 +1.6
Roberto Hernandez 28 pre-arb 701.9 0.2 +1.3
Ozzie Guillen 29 FA-elig 1341.5 2.0 -0.8
Kirk McCaskill 32 FA-elig 301.1 2.5 -1.6
Scott Radinsky 25 arb 730.9 1.1 -0.3
Bo Jackson 30 FA-elig 850.8 2.4 -1.8
Joey Cora 28 FA-elig 1530.7 0.5 +0.1
Michael LaValliere↔ PIT 32 FA-elig 370.6 2.3 -1.8
Craig Grebeck 28 arb 720.6 0.6 -0.1
Tim Belcher↔ CIN 31 FA-elig 120.6 1.4 -0.9
Donn Pall↔ PHI 31 arb 390.5 0.4 +0.0
Mike Huff 29 arb 430.4 0.2 +0.1
Rodney Bolton 24 pre-arb 90.3 0.1 +0.2
Warren Newson 28 pre-arb 260.3 0.2 +0.1
Dave Stieb 35 FA-elig 40.2 0.3 -0.1
Jeff Schwarz 29 pre-arb 410.2 0.1 +0.1
Dan Pasqua 31 FA-elig 780.2 1.8 -1.6
Terry Leach 39 FA-elig 140.2 0.3 -0.1
Norberto Martin 26 pre-arb 80.2 0.1 +0.0
Brian Drahman 26 – 50.1 – –
Doug Lindsey↔ PHI 25 – 2-0.0 – –
Chris Howard 27 – 3-0.0 – –
Chuck Cary 33 FA-elig 16-0.0 0.2 -0.3
Drew Denson 27 – 4-0.0 – –
Jose DeLeon↔ PHI 32 FA-elig 11-0.1 0.1 -0.2
Barry Jones 30 – 6-0.1 – –
Rick Wrona 29 – 4-0.2 – –
Bobby Thigpen↔ PHI 29 FA-elig 25-0.2 2.0 -2.2
Scott Ruffcorn 23 – 3-0.3 – –
Steve Sax 33 FA-elig 57-0.3 2.0 -2.2
Ivan Calderon↔ BOS 31 FA-elig 9-0.4 0.0 -0.3
Matt Merullo 27 arb 8-0.5 0.1 -0.5
Carlton Fisk 45 – 25-0.7 – –
George Bell 33 FA-elig 102-2.0 3.6 -5.3

Key additions (new vs 1992)

PlayerfWAR
Ellis Burks2.7
Jason Bere2.1
Bo Jackson0.8
Michael LaValliere0.6
Tim Belcher0.6
Rodney Bolton0.3

Key subtractions (gone from 1992)

Player1992 fWAR
Shawn Abner1.6
Greg Hibbard1.2
Charlie Hough0.9
Nelson Santovenia0.2
Mike Dunne0.1
Dale Sveum0.1

Current & Historical Payroll

1993 payroll
$42.0M

What the front office was committed to as of 1993, 1993–1999. 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)

PlayerAgeSvc1993199419951996199719981999
Jack McDowell276.000$4.0M$5.3MFREE AGENT
George Bell3312.000$3.6MFREE AGENT
Tim Raines Sr.3314.000$3.5M$3.6M$3.7MFREE AGENT
Kirk McCaskill328.000$2.5M$2.1M$940k$800kFREE AGENT
Bo Jackson307.000$2.4MFREE AGENT
Michael LaValliere329.000$2.3M$109k$750kFREE AGENT
Lance Johnson296.000$2.3M$2.7M$2.7MFREE AGENT
Ellis Burks286.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Bobby Thigpen297.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Ozzie Guillen298.000$2.0M$2.1M$3.5M$4.0M$4.5MFREE AGENT
Steve Sax3312.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Dan Pasqua318.000$1.8M$1.8MFREE AGENT
Ron Karkovice297.000$1.6M$1.4M$1.8M$2.2M$1.5MFREE AGENT
Tim Belcher316.000$1.4MFREE AGENT
Joey Cora286.000$465k$625kFREE AGENT
Dave Stieb3514.000$300kFREE AGENT
Terry Leach3912.000$260kFREE AGENT
Chuck Cary338.000$250kFREE AGENT
Jose DeLeon3210.000$86k$625k$595kFREE AGENT
Ivan Calderon319.000$12kFREE AGENT
Carlton Fisk4524.000—FREE AGENT
Barry Jones307.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (10)

PlayerAgeSvc1993199419951996199719981999
Robin Ventura254.000$1.8MARB 3FREE AGENT
Frank Thomas253.000$1.1MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Radinsky253.000$1.1MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alex Fernandez233.000$868kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Craig Grebeck283.000$632kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Donn Pall315.000$415kFREE AGENT
Wilson Alvarez234.000$180kARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Huff294.000$180kARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Merullo274.000$150kARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick Wrona295.000—FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (11)

PlayerAgeSvc1993199419951996199719981999
Roberto Hernandez282.000$195kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Warren Newson282.000$160kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Norberto Martin260.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Bere220.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Schwarz290.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rodney Bolton240.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Drew Denson27–—
Brian Drahman262.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Howard27–—
Doug Lindsey25–—
Scott Ruffcorn230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = White Sox 1993; the black line = the league-average player at each slot that season. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge; dropping below it = holes & dead weight.

What each regime is worth — every settled team-season since 1985

RegimeSeasonsWin %Playoff %Pennant %WS %
WINDOW 28152.131.05.01.1
CONTEND 30056.964.719.710.3
FORCED-SPEND 25648.09.81.61.6
REBUILD 32143.31.20.30.3
Rosternomics — quantifying front-office skill, attribution-clean. Follow @rosternomics on X. Decision-makers on record back to 1933; resource-controlled metrics (WAR & payroll) cover 1985–2026.
Data: FanGraphs (WAR), Baseball-Reference & the Chadwick Bureau register (rosters, IDs), the Lahman Database, Baseball America prospect rankings (via The Baseball Cube), 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); bios are original. Emoji graphics by OpenMoji (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All figures are franchise-level outcomes credited to the decision-maker in the acquisition year — not solely attributable to one executive.