RRosternomics
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White Sox CHW

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GM: Kenny Williams

Overview

FORCED-SPEND ↗ rising
expensive & losing · year 1 in this regime · payroll 1.09× league · TAB -6.4
-6.4TAB — talent above budget24th/30
-4.0WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)21st/30
7.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars9th/30
-5.6dead WAR — sub-replacement drag21st/30
32%dead money %10th/30
0.488win %18th/30
28.9roster fWAR21st/30
-30surplus $M (value vs cost)24th/30
$99Mpayroll $M13th/30

Roster

CFScott Podsednik 49GAlex Rios 42GDewayne Wise 35G
LFCarlos Quentin 88GScott Podsednik 78GDewayne Wise 5G
RFJermaine Dye 133GAlex Rios 110GDewayne Wise 34G
SSAlexei Ramirez 148GJayson Nix 15GBrent Lillibridge 7G
2BChris Getz 106GJayson Nix 52GBrent Lillibridge 23G
3BGordon Beckham 102GJosh Fields 49GJayson Nix 12G
1BPaul Konerko 134GMark Kotsay 41GJosh Fields 17G
STARTERSGavin Floyd 4.0WARMark Buehrle 3.1WARJohn Danks 2.6WARFreddy Garcia 1.5WARJake Peavy 0.7WAR
CA.J. Pierzynski 131GRamon Castro 52GTyler Flowers 6G
DHJim Thome 99GPaul Konerko 18GScott Podsednik 13G
BULLPEN★ Bobby Jenks 29svMatt Thornton 24hOctavio Dotel 16hRamon Pena 13hScott Linebrink 7hRandy Williams 3hD.J. Carrasco 0hJimmy Gobble 0h
CA.J. Pierzynski 131 · Ramon Castro 52 · Tyler Flowers 6
1BPaul Konerko 134 · Mark Kotsay 41 · Josh Fields 17
2BChris Getz 106 · Jayson Nix 52 · Brent Lillibridge 23
3BGordon Beckham 102 · Josh Fields 49 · Jayson Nix 12
SSAlexei Ramirez 148 · Jayson Nix 15 · Brent Lillibridge 7
LFCarlos Quentin 88 · Scott Podsednik 78 · Dewayne Wise 5
CFScott Podsednik 49 · Alex Rios 42 · Dewayne Wise 35
RFJermaine Dye 133 · Alex Rios 110 · Dewayne Wise 34
DHJim Thome 99 · Paul Konerko 18 · Scott Podsednik 13
SPGavin Floyd 4.0 · Mark Buehrle 3.1 · John Danks 2.6 · Freddy Garcia 1.5 · Jake Peavy 0.7
BP★ Bobby Jenks 29 · Matt Thornton 24 · Octavio Dotel 16 · Ramon Pena 13 · Scott Linebrink 7 · Randy Williams 3 · D.J. Carrasco 0 · Jimmy Gobble 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.

2009 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Gavin Floyd 26 arb 304.0 0.8 +8.7
Mark Buehrle 30 FA-elig 333.1 14.0 -6.5
John Danks 24 pre-arb 322.6 0.5 +5.7
A.J. Pierzynski 32 FA-elig 1382.3 6.2 -0.7
Matt Thornton 32 arb 702.3 1.3 +4.2
Gordon Beckham 22 pre-arb 1032.3 0.4 +5.1
Alexei Ramirez 27 pre-arb 1482.1 1.2 +3.7
Scott Podsednik 33 FA-elig 1322.0 0.5 +4.2
Jose Contreras↔ COL 37 FA-elig 211.9 7.5 -3.0
Paul Konerko 33 FA-elig 1521.8 12.0 -7.7
Freddy Garcia 32 FA-elig 91.5 1.5 +2.1
D.J. Carrasco 32 FA-elig 491.2 0.4 +2.5
Clayton Richard↔ SDP 25 pre-arb 271.2 0.3 +2.5
Jim Thome↔ LAD 38 FA-elig 1070.9 11.2 -9.0
Chris Getz 25 pre-arb 1070.8 0.4 +1.6
Jayson Nix 26 pre-arb 940.8 0.4 +1.6
Dewayne Wise 31 FA-elig 840.7 0.6 +1.2
Octavio Dotel 35 FA-elig 620.7 6.0 -4.3
Jake Peavy↔ SDP 28 FA-elig 30.7 2.1 -0.5
Ramon Pena↔ ARI 27 arb 350.5 0.2 +1.0
Bobby Jenks 28 arb 520.2 5.6 -5.1
Bartolo Colon 36 FA-elig 120.2 1.0 -0.6
Aaron Poreda↔ SDP 22 pre-arb 100.1 0.3 +0.0
Lance Broadway↔ NYM 25 pre-arb 80.1 0.2 +0.1
Scott Linebrink 32 FA-elig 570.1 4.5 -4.2
Randy Williams 33 arb 250.1 0.4 -0.2
Daniel Hudson 22 – 60.1 0.1 +0.1
Tyler Flowers 23 – 100.0 – –
Jhonny Nunez 23 – 70.0 – –
Wes Whisler 26 – 3-0.0 – –
Jerry Owens 28 – 12-0.0 – –
Brian Anderson↔ BOS 27 arb 65-0.1 0.3 -0.5
Mike MacDougal↔ WSN 32 FA-elig 5-0.1 0.2 -0.4
Jack Egbert 26 pre-arb 2-0.1 0.4 -0.6
Corky Miller↔ CIN 33 FA-elig 14-0.1 0.2 -0.4
Carlos Torres 26 – 8-0.1 0.4 -0.7
Mark Kotsay↔ BOS 33 FA-elig 40-0.2 0.9 -1.3
Jimmy Gobble 27 – 12-0.2 – –
Ramon Castro↔ NYM 33 FA-elig 31-0.3 1.4 -2.0
Carlos Quentin 26 arb 99-0.5 0.6 -1.8
Wilson Betemit 27 FA-elig 20-0.7 1.3 -2.9
Josh Fields 26 arb 79-0.7 0.4 -2.1
Brent Lillibridge 25 pre-arb 46-0.8 0.4 -2.2
Jermaine Dye 35 FA-elig 141-0.8 11.5 -13.4
Alex Rios↔ TOR 28 arb 41-1.0 1.8 -4.2

Key additions (new vs 2008)

PlayerfWAR
Gordon Beckham2.3
Scott Podsednik2.0
Freddy Garcia1.5
Jayson Nix0.8
Jake Peavy0.7
Ramon Pena0.5

Key subtractions (gone from 2008)

Player2008 fWAR
Javier Vazquez4.7
Orlando Cabrera3.3
Joe Crede1.6
Nick Swisher1.1
Juan Uribe0.3
Adam Russell0.3

Current & Historical Payroll

2009 payroll
$99.4M

What the front office was committed to as of 2009, 2009–2015. 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 (20)

PlayerAgeSvc2009201020112012201320142015
Mark Buehrle309.000$14.0M$14.0M$14.0MFREE AGENT
Paul Konerko3312.000$12.0M$12.0M$12.0M$12.0M$13.5M$2.5MFREE AGENT
Jermaine Dye3513.000$11.5MFREE AGENT
Jim Thome3818.000$11.2MFREE AGENT
Jose Contreras376.000$7.5MFREE AGENT
A.J. Pierzynski3211.000$6.2M$6.8M$2.0M$6.0MFREE AGENT
Octavio Dotel3510.000$6.0MFREE AGENT
Scott Linebrink329.000$4.5M$5.0MFREE AGENT
Jake Peavy287.000$2.1M$15.0M$16.0M$17.0M$8.2MFREE AGENT
Freddy Garcia3210.000$1.5M$1.0MFREE AGENT
Ramon Castro3310.000$1.4M$800k$1.2MFREE AGENT
Wilson Betemit278.000$1.3MFREE AGENT
Bartolo Colon3612.000$1.0MFREE AGENT
Mark Kotsay3312.000$896k$1.5MFREE AGENT
Dewayne Wise319.000$550kFREE AGENT$79k$700k
Scott Podsednik338.000$500kFREE AGENT
D.J. Carrasco326.000$440kFREE AGENT
Mike MacDougal328.000$232kFREE AGENT
Corky Miller338.000$180kFREE AGENT
Jimmy Gobble276.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (10)

PlayerAgeSvc2009201020112012201320142015
Bobby Jenks284.000$5.6MARB 3FREE AGENT
Alex Rios285.000$1.8MFREE AGENT
Matt Thornton325.000$1.3MFREE AGENT
Gavin Floyd265.000$750kFREE AGENT
Carlos Quentin263.000$550kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Randy Williams335.000$410kFREE AGENT
Josh Fields263.000$410kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Anderson274.000$333kARB 3FREE AGENT
Ramon Pena273.000$209kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jerry Owens283.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (15)

PlayerAgeSvc2009201020112012201320142015
Alexei Ramirez271.000$1.2MPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Danks242.000$520kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brent Lillibridge251.000$402kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Getz251.000$401kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gordon Beckham220.000$400kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jack Egbert260.000$400kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Torres260.000$400kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jayson Nix261.000$400kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Aaron Poreda220.000$286kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Clayton Richard251.000$280kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lance Broadway252.000$201kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Hudson220.000$66kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Flowers230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Wes Whisler26–—
Jhonny Nunez23–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = White Sox 2009; 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.