RRosternomics
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White Sox CHW

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President of baseball ops: Kenny Williams · GM: Rick Hahn

Overview

FORCED-SPEND ↗ rising
expensive & losing · year 1 in this regime · payroll 1.05× league · TAB -2.1
-2.1TAB — talent above budget19th/30
-4.6WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)22nd/30
8.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars9th/30
-8.2dead WAR — sub-replacement drag24th/30
41%dead money %22nd/30
0.481win %19th/30
32.7roster fWAR17th/30
-26surplus $M (value vs cost)19th/30
$132Mpayroll $M14th/30

Roster

CFJB Shuck 60GAustin Jackson 54GAdam Eaton 48G
LFMelky Cabrera 147GAvisaíl García 11GJason Coats 7G
RFAdam Eaton 121GAvisaíl García 46GJason Coats 11G
SSTim Anderson 98GJimmy Rollins 35GTyler Saladino 32G
2BBrett Lawrie 92GTyler Saladino 41GYolmer Sánchez 33G
3BTodd Frazier 149GTyler Saladino 10GYolmer Sánchez 6G
1BJosé Abreu 152GTodd Frazier 7GJerry Sands 4G
STARTERSChris Sale 5.3WARJose Quintana 4.9WARMiguel González 2.8WARCarlos Rodón 2.7WARAnthony Ranaudo -0.3WAR
CAlex Avila 54GOmar Narváez 34GKevan Smith 6G
DHAvisaíl García 63GJustin Morneau 53GJerry Sands 10G
BULLPEN★ David Robertson 37svNate Jones 28hMatt Albers 13hDan Jennings 10hTommy Kahnle 5hChris Beck 5hZach Putnam 2hMichael Ynoa 1h
CAlex Avila 54 · Omar Narváez 34 · Kevan Smith 6
1BJosé Abreu 152 · Todd Frazier 7 · Jerry Sands 4
2BBrett Lawrie 92 · Tyler Saladino 41 · Yolmer Sánchez 33
3BTodd Frazier 149 · Tyler Saladino 10 · Yolmer Sánchez 6
SSTim Anderson 98 · Jimmy Rollins 35 · Tyler Saladino 32
LFMelky Cabrera 147 · Avisaíl García 11 · Jason Coats 7
CFJB Shuck 60 · Austin Jackson 54 · Adam Eaton 48
RFAdam Eaton 121 · Avisaíl García 46 · Jason Coats 11
DHAvisaíl García 63 · Justin Morneau 53 · Jerry Sands 10
SPChris Sale 5.3 · Jose Quintana 4.9 · Miguel González 2.8 · Carlos Rodón 2.7 · Anthony Ranaudo -0.3
BP★ David Robertson 37 · Nate Jones 28 · Matt Albers 13 · Dan Jennings 10 · Tommy Kahnle 5 · Chris Beck 5 · Zach Putnam 2 · Michael Ynoa 1

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.

2016 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Adam Eaton 27 arb 1576.2 2.8 +17.4
Chris Sale 27 FA-elig 325.3 9.2 +8.0
Jose Quintana 27 arb 324.9 5.4 +10.4
Todd Frazier 30 arb 1583.0 8.2 +1.4
Tim Anderson 23 – 992.8 0.3 +8.8
Miguel González 32 arb 242.8 0.4 +8.5
Carlos Rodón 23 pre-arb 282.7 0.5 +8.1
José Abreu 29 pre-arb 1592.2 13.3 -6.2
Nate Jones 30 arb 711.8 0.9 +5.1
Melky Cabrera 31 FA-elig 1511.8 14.0 -8.3
Tyler Saladino 26 pre-arb 931.3 0.5 +3.8
David Robertson 31 FA-elig 621.0 11.0 -7.6
Brett Lawrie 26 arb 940.9 4.1 -1.1
Dan Jennings 29 arb 640.9 0.8 +2.2
Zach Duke↔ STL 33 FA-elig 530.9 3.3 -0.5
Alex Avila 29 FA-elig 570.6 2.5 -0.6
Zach Putnam 28 arb 250.4 1.0 +0.3
Austin Jackson 29 FA-elig 540.3 5.0 -3.9
Michael Ynoa 24 pre-arb 230.3 0.3 +0.7
Jimmy Rollins 37 FA-elig 410.2 2.0 -1.2
Omar Narváez 24 – 340.2 0.2 +0.3
Matt Purke 25 – 120.1 0.1 +0.3
Jason Coats 26 pre-arb 280.1 0.2 +0.0
Justin Morneau 35 FA-elig 580.0 1.0 -0.9
Juan Minaya 25 – 110.0 0.1 +0.0
Daniel Webb 26 pre-arb 10.0 0.4 -0.4
Leury García 25 pre-arb 180.0 0.1 -0.0
Matt Davidson 25 pre-arb 10.0 0.3 -0.2
Mat Latos↔ WSN 28 FA-elig 110.0 1.9 -1.9
Scott Carroll 31 – 30.0 0.0 +0.0
Tommy Kahnle 26 pre-arb 29-0.0 0.3 -0.3
Avisaíl García 25 arb 120-0.0 2.1 -2.2
Tyler Danish 21 – 3-0.1 0.0 -0.2
Blake Smith 28 – 5-0.1 0.1 -0.3
Charlie Tilson 23 – 1-0.1 0.2 -0.4
John Danks 31 – 4-0.1 15.8 -16.0
Héctor Sánchez↔ SDP 26 – 2-0.1 0.0 -0.4
Jake Petricka 28 arb 9-0.1 0.5 -1.0
Carson Fulmer 22 – 8-0.2 0.1 -0.6
Kevan Smith 28 – 7-0.2 0.1 -0.7
Chris Beck 25 pre-arb 25-0.2 0.2 -0.8
Jerry Sands 28 arb 24-0.3 0.5 -1.4
Erik Johnson↔ SDP 26 – 2-0.3 0.1 -1.0
Anthony Ranaudo↔ TEX 26 pre-arb 7-0.3 0.1 -1.2
Yolmer Sánchez 24 pre-arb 53-0.5 0.3 -1.8
Jacob Turner 25 arb 18-0.5 1.5 -3.0
Matt Albers 33 FA-elig 58-0.7 2.0 -4.2
JB Shuck 29 arb 81-1.3 0.5 -4.8
James Shields↔ SDP 34 FA-elig 22-1.4 14.0 -18.7
Dioner Navarro↔ TOR 32 FA-elig 85-1.8 3.4 -9.2

Key additions (new vs 2015)

PlayerfWAR
Todd Frazier3.0
Tim Anderson2.8
Miguel González2.8
Brett Lawrie0.9
Alex Avila0.6
Austin Jackson0.3

Key subtractions (gone from 2015)

Player2015 fWAR
Tyler Flowers2.4
Jeff Samardzija2.4
Geovany Soto1.6
Trayce Thompson1.4
Gordon Beckham0.4
Frankie Montas0.2

Current & Historical Payroll

2016 payroll
$131.7M
2017 guaranteed
$0M

What the front office was committed to as of 2016, 2016–2022. Guaranteed $ are contract commitments signed by 2016; arbitration & free-agent years are projected from service time. Hover a figure for its luxury-tax (CBT) & actual-cash values.

current $ guaranteed $ arbitration (proj) pre-arb (proj) free agent club option player option mutual option vesting option

Guaranteed / signed (12)

PlayerAgeSvc2016201720182019202020212022
John Danks319.000$15.8MFREE AGENT
James Shields349.125$14.0MFREE AGENT
Melky Cabrera319.148$14.0MFREE AGENT
David Robertson317.070$11.0MFREE AGENT
Austin Jackson296.000$5.0MFREE AGENT
Dioner Navarro329.091$3.4MFREE AGENT
Zach Duke339.054$3.3MFREE AGENT
Alex Avila296.061$2.5MFREE AGENT
Matt Albers338.141$2.0MFREE AGENT
Jimmy Rollins3716.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Mat Latos286.079$1.9MFREE AGENT
Justin Morneau3511.168$1.0MFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (8)

PlayerAgeSvc2016201720182019202020212022
Chris Sale275.061$9.2MFREE AGENT
Todd Frazier304.071$8.2MARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Quintana273.133$5.4MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brett Lawrie264.055$4.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Adam Eaton273.030$2.8MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jacob Turner253.033$1.5MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nate Jones304.000$900kARB 3FREE AGENT
Héctor Sánchez263.098$16kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (30)

PlayerAgeSvc2016201720182019202020212022
José Abreu292.000$13.3MARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Avisaíl García252.166$2.1MARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Zach Putnam282.135$975kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dan Jennings292.171$810kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jerry Sands281.142$535kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jake Petricka282.044$535kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
JB Shuck292.111$521kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Rodón230.168$518kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Saladino260.087$513kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Webb261.158$441kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Miguel González320.122$413kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tim Anderson230.000$319kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Michael Ynoa241.039$308kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Yolmer Sánchez241.023$305kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tommy Kahnle261.086$280kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Davidson250.050$263kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Omar Narváez240.000$247kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Coats260.082$225kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Beck250.002$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Charlie Tilson230.000$172kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Purke250.000$136kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Anthony Ranaudo260.052$110kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Erik Johnson260.089$105kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carson Fulmer220.000$94kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevan Smith280.000$89kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Juan Minaya250.000$89kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Blake Smith28–$75k
Leury García251.170$75kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Carroll311.059$17kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Danish210.000$17kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = White Sox 2016; 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.