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Reds CIN

198589–72 (0.553)
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GM: Bill Bergesch

Overview

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

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$9M
Surplus $M
-0
Win %
0.553
TAB
+2.5
WAB
+8.9
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
35.2
Dead money %
31%
Depth Players
8.0
Dead WAR
-2.1

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1985 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RDave Vangorder70
RBo Diaz⇄51
RAlan Knicely⇄46
RDann Bilardello42

1B

BPete Rose110
RTony Perez50
RNick Esasky12

2B

BRon Oester149
LTom Foley⇄18
LWayne Krenchicki3
BTom Runnells1

3B

RBuddy Bell⇄67
RNick Esasky62
LWayne Krenchicki52
RDave Concepcion5
RWade Rowdon4
LTom Foley⇄1

SS

RDave Concepcion151
BTom Runnells11

LF

RGary Redus63
RNick Esasky54
LMax Venable31
REric Davis24
LPaul O'Neill2

CF

LEddie Milner135
RGary Redus37
REric Davis28
LMax Venable7
RCesar Cedeno⇄4

RF

LDave Parker159
REric Davis5
LMax Venable3

DH

—

Starters

LTom Browning3.4 WAR
RMario Soto2.8 WAR
RAndy McGaffigan2.4 WAR
RJay Tibbs2.2 WAR
RRon Robinson1.1 WAR
RFrank Pastore0.9 WAR
RJohn Stuper0.4 WAR
LJoe Price0.1 WAR

Bullpen

★ RTed Power27 sv
LJohn Franco0 h
RTom Hume0 h
LBob Buchanan0 h
RCarl Willis0 h
RMike Smith0 h
LRob Murphy0 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 1984)

PlayerfWAR
Dave Parker5.4
Ron Oester3.5
Tom Browning3.4
Mario Soto2.8
Andy McGaffigan2.4
Eddie Milner2.4

Key subtractions (gone from 1984)

Player1984 fWAR
—

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Reds. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 1985; everyone else is shown as a 1985 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Dave Parker 1985 +5.4 +87.7 1.0 +86.7 $0.2M 2.05× –
Tom Browning 1985 +3.4 +53.2 0.1 +53.1 $0.0M 1.96× –
Mario Soto 1985 +2.8 +44.4 1.1 +43.4 $0.4M 1.96× –
Ron Oester 1985 +3.5 +29.7 0.6 +29.1 $0.2M 1.07× –
Andy McGaffigan 1985 +2.4 +28.7 0.1 +28.5 $0.0M 1.49× –
Jay Tibbs 1985 +2.2 +26.5 0.1 +26.5 $0.0M 1.49× –
Eddie Milner 1985 +2.4 +23.2 0.3 +22.9 $0.1M 1.22× –
Gary Redus 1985 +2.0 +19.2 0.2 +19.0 $0.1M 1.22× –
John Franco 1985 +1.1 +11.6 0.1 +11.5 $0.1M 1.34× –
Tony Perez 1985 +1.5 +6.6 0.2 +6.3 $0.2M 0.56× –
Wayne Krenchicki 1985 +1.1 +5.0 0.2 +4.8 $0.2M 0.58× –
Ted Power 1985 +0.5 +4.9 0.3 +4.7 $0.6M 1.34× –
Frank Pastore 1985 +0.9 +4.9 0.3 +4.5 $0.4M 0.67× –
Max Venable 1985 +0.6 +3.8 0.2 +3.7 $0.3M 0.83× –
Dave Concepcion 1985 +0.9 +4.3 0.9 +3.4 $1.0M 0.61× –
Pete Rose 1985 +0.8 +3.8 0.4 +3.4 $0.4M 0.56× –
Bo Diaz↔ 1985 +0.8 +3.4 0.4 +3.0 $0.5M 0.52× –
John Stuper 1985 +0.4 +1.9 0.2 +1.7 $0.7M 0.67× –
Cesar Cedeno↔ 1985 +0.2 +1.3 0.4 +0.9 $2.1M 0.83× –
Joe Price 1985 +0.1 +0.7 0.4 +0.3 $3.2M 0.67× –
Buddy Bell↔ 1985 +0.0 +0.1 0.3 -0.2 $17.4M 0.58× –
Dave Vangorder 1985 -0.1 -0.5 0.1 -0.6 – 0.52× –
Tom Foley↔ 1985 -0.2 -0.9 0.1 -0.9 – 0.56× –
Tom Hume 1985 -0.1 -0.6 0.8 -1.5 – 0.67× –
Duane Walker↔ 1985 -0.2 -1.6 0.1 -1.7 – 0.83× –
Alan Knicely↔ 1985 +0.0 +0.1 0.1 +0.0 $2.8M 0.52× –
Bob Buchanan 1985 -0.6 -3.3 – – – 0.67× –
Carl Willis 1985 -0.2 -1.2 – – – 0.67× –
Dann Bilardello 1985 -0.1 -0.3 – – – 0.52× –
Eric Davis 1985 +1.1 +7.1 – – – 0.83× –
Mike Smith 1985 -0.2 -0.8 – – – 0.67× –
Nick Esasky 1985 +2.1 +14.6 – – – 0.85× –
Paul O'Neill 1985 +0.0 +0.3 – – – 0.83× –
Rob Murphy 1985 -0.1 -0.5 – – – 0.67× –
Ron Robinson 1985 +1.1 +5.8 – – – 0.67× –
Tom Runnells 1985 -0.2 -1.1 – – – 0.61× –
Wade Rowdon 1985 +0.0 +0.0 – – – 0.58× –
Total—+35.3+382.09.0+352.5—

Trades

Every graded 1985 deal involving the Reds — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 7 total.

1985 · SFG / CIN
SFG · Tom Haller +$0.0M
Bob Buchanan
CIN · Bill Bergesch +$0.0M
Colin Ward
Even trade
1985 · CIN / STL
CIN · Bill Bergesch +$2.4M
Mark Jackson
STL · Joe McDonald −$2.4M
César Cedeño
CIN came out ahead by $2.4M
1985 · WSN / CIN
WSN · Murray Cook +$3.2M
Skeeter Barnes
CIN · Bill Bergesch −$3.2M
Max Venable
WSN came out ahead by $3.2M
1985 · CIN / PHI
CIN · Bill Bergesch +$29.6M
John Denny, Jeff Gray
PHI · Bill Giles −$29.6M
Gary Redus, Tom Hume
CIN came out ahead by $29.6M
1985 · TEX / CIN
TEX · Tom Grieve +$4.0M
Duane Walker, Jeff Russell
CIN · Bill Bergesch −$4.0M
Buddy Bell
TEX came out ahead by $4.0M
1985 · WSN / CIN
WSN · Murray Cook +$20.8M
Jay Tibbs, Andy McGaffigan, John Stuper, Dann Bilardello
CIN · Bill Bergesch −$20.8M
Bill Gullickson, Sal Butera
WSN came out ahead by $20.8M
1985 · PHI / CIN
PHI · Bill Giles +$29.6M
Tom Foley, Alan Knicely, Freddie Toliver
CIN · Bill Bergesch −$29.6M
Bo Díaz, Greg Simpson
PHI came out ahead by $29.6M

Current & Historical Payroll

1985 payroll
$8.8M

What the front office was committed to as of 1985, 1985–1991. 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 (14)

PlayerAgeSvc1985198619871988198919901991
Mario Soto288.000$1.1M$1.1M$1.2M$1.2MFREE AGENT
Dave Parker3412.000$970k$1.1M$1.1MFREE AGENT
Dave Concepcion3715.000$920k$920k$320k$370kFREE AGENT
Tom Hume328.000$833kFREE AGENT$96k
Ron Oester297.000$550k$650k$750k$290k$650k$650kFREE AGENT
Cesar Cedeno3415.000$421kFREE AGENT
Bo Diaz328.000$411k$775k$825k$850k$900kFREE AGENT
Pete Rose4422.000$359k$1.0MFREE AGENT
Frank Pastore276.000$350kFREE AGENT
Buddy Bell3313.000$333k$870k$870k$616kFREE AGENT
Wayne Krenchicki306.000$250kFREE AGENT
Tony Perez4321.000$225k$275kFREE AGENT
Max Venable286.000$155k$225kFREE AGENT
Alan Knicely306.000$52kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (8)

PlayerAgeSvc1985198619871988198919901991
Joe Price285.000$410kFREE AGENT
Eddie Milner305.000$300kFREE AGENT
Ted Power304.000$255kARB 3FREE AGENT
John Stuper283.000$250kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gary Redus283.000$228kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Andy McGaffigan284.000$110kARB 3FREE AGENT
Duane Walker283.000$76kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Vangorder283.000$60kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (15)

PlayerAgeSvc1985198619871988198919901991
John Franco241.000$75kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tom Browning251.000$60kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jay Tibbs231.000$60kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tom Foley252.000$57kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dann Bilardello262.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bob Buchanan24–—
Eric Davis231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nick Esasky252.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rob Murphy250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Paul O'Neill220.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ron Robinson231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Wade Rowdon241.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tom Runnells30–—
Mike Smith24–—
Carl Willis241.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1985 acquisition stacked onto Reds'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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