RRosternomics
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Guardians CLE

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GM: John Hart

Overview

REBUILD → steady
cheap & losing · year 1 in this regime · payroll 0.56× league · TAB -2.1
-2.1TAB — talent above budget17th/28
+1.7WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)12th/28
5.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars20th/28
-9.8dead WAR — sub-replacement drag28th/28
46%dead money %25th/28
0.469win %18th/28
24.9roster fWAR21st/28
+3surplus $M (value vs cost)7th/28
$18Mpayroll $M26th/28

Roster

CFKenny Lofton 146GWayne Kirby 15G
LFAlbert Belle 150GCandy Maldonado 31GWayne Kirby 2G
RFWayne Kirby 113GCandy Maldonado 39GThomas Howard 28G
SSFelix Fermin 140GAlvaro Espinoza 35GMark Lewis 13G
2BCarlos Baerga 150GJeff Treadway 19GAlvaro Espinoza 2G
3BAlvaro Espinoza 99GJim Thome 47GJeff Treadway 42G
1BPaul Sorrento 144GRandy Milligan 79GCarlos Martinez 22G
STARTERSJose Mesa 2.9WARMike Bielecki 0.7WARCharles Nagy 0.6WARJason Grimsley 0.5WARMark Clark 0.5WAR
CJunior Ortiz 95GSandy Alomar Jr. 64GJesse Levis 29G
DHReggie Jefferson 79GCarlos Martinez 19GGlenallen Hill 17G
BULLPEN★ Eric Plunk 15svJeremy Hernandez 0hDerek Lilliquist 0hJerry Dipoto 0hBill Wertz 0hHeathcliff Slocumb 0hMike Christopher 0hBob Milacki 0h
CJunior Ortiz 95 · Sandy Alomar Jr. 64 · Jesse Levis 29
1BPaul Sorrento 144 · Randy Milligan 79 · Carlos Martinez 22
2BCarlos Baerga 150 · Jeff Treadway 19 · Alvaro Espinoza 2
3BAlvaro Espinoza 99 · Jim Thome 47 · Jeff Treadway 42
SSFelix Fermin 140 · Alvaro Espinoza 35 · Mark Lewis 13
LFAlbert Belle 150 · Candy Maldonado 31 · Wayne Kirby 2
CFKenny Lofton 146 · Wayne Kirby 15
RFWayne Kirby 113 · Candy Maldonado 39 · Thomas Howard 28
DHReggie Jefferson 79 · Carlos Martinez 19 · Glenallen Hill 17
SPJose Mesa 2.9 · Mike Bielecki 0.7 · Charles Nagy 0.6 · Jason Grimsley 0.5 · Mark Clark 0.5
BP★ Eric Plunk 15 · Jeremy Hernandez 0 · Derek Lilliquist 0 · Jerry Dipoto 0 · Bill Wertz 0 · Heathcliff Slocumb 0 · Mike Christopher 0 · Bob Milacki 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
Kenny Lofton 26 pre-arb 1487.0 0.5 +5.3
Albert Belle 26 arb 1594.9 1.7 +2.4
Carlos Baerga 24 arb 1544.4 1.4 +2.2
Jose Mesa 27 FA-elig 342.9 0.3 +2.0
Wayne Kirby 29 pre-arb 1312.5 0.1 +1.9
Eric Plunk 29 FA-elig 701.5 0.7 +0.5
Jerry Dipoto 25 pre-arb 461.1 0.1 +0.8
Paul Sorrento 27 arb 1481.1 0.3 +0.6
Jim Thome 22 pre-arb 471.1 0.1 +0.8
Derek Lilliquist 27 arb 561.1 0.7 +0.2
Randy Milligan↔ CIN 31 FA-elig 191.1 0.1 +0.8
Sandy Alomar Jr. 27 arb 640.8 1.3 -0.6
Mike Bielecki 33 FA-elig 130.7 0.5 +0.1
Sam Horn 29 – 120.7 – –
Alvaro Espinoza 31 FA-elig 1290.6 0.5 +0.0
Charles Nagy 26 arb 90.6 0.5 -0.0
Jeff Treadway 30 FA-elig 970.6 0.4 +0.1
Jason Grimsley 25 arb 100.5 0.1 +0.3
Mark Clark 25 pre-arb 260.5 0.1 +0.3
Bill Wertz 26 pre-arb 340.4 0.1 +0.2
Bob Ojeda 35 FA-elig 90.3 1.7 -1.5
Junior Ortiz 33 FA-elig 950.2 0.4 -0.3
Lance Parrish 37 FA-elig 100.0 0.1 -0.1
Cliff Young 28 arb 210.0 0.1 -0.1
Dennis Cook 30 arb 250.0 0.6 -0.6
Ted Power↔ SEA 38 FA-elig 200.0 0.2 -0.2
Dave Mlicki 25 pre-arb 3-0.0 0.1 -0.1
Scott Scudder 25 arb 2-0.0 0.8 -0.8
Matt Young 34 – 22-0.1 – –
Mike Christopher 29 pre-arb 9-0.1 0.1 -0.2
Mark Lewis 23 pre-arb 14-0.1 0.2 -0.2
Julian Tavarez 20 pre-arb 8-0.1 0.1 -0.2
Heathcliff Slocumb↔ CHC 27 pre-arb 20-0.1 0.1 -0.2
Albie Lopez 21 – 9-0.2 – –
Candy Maldonado↔ CHC 32 FA-elig 28-0.2 0.5 -0.6
Bob Milacki 28 – 5-0.2 – –
Tom Kramer 25 pre-arb 39-0.2 0.1 -0.3
Kevin Wickander↔ CIN 28 arb 11-0.3 0.0 -0.3
Paul Abbott 25 – 5-0.4 – –
Thomas Howard↔ CIN 28 arb 74-0.4 0.2 -0.6
Jeremy Hernandez↔ SDP 26 pre-arb 49-0.4 0.1 -0.4
Jesse Levis 25 – 31-0.5 – –
Jeff Mutis 26 pre-arb 17-0.6 0.1 -0.6
Manny Ramirez 21 pre-arb 22-0.6 0.1 -0.6
Reggie Jefferson 24 pre-arb 113-1.0 0.1 -1.0
Carlos Martinez 27 arb 80-1.2 0.5 -1.5
Glenallen Hill↔ CHC 28 arb 66-1.3 0.7 -1.7
Felix Fermin 29 FA-elig 140-1.8 1.0 -2.4

Key additions (new vs 1992)

PlayerfWAR
Jerry Dipoto1.1
Randy Milligan1.1
Mike Bielecki0.7
Sam Horn0.7
Alvaro Espinoza0.6
Jeff Treadway0.6

Key subtractions (gone from 1992)

Player1992 fWAR
Mark Whiten1.1
Brook Jacoby1.0
Jack Armstrong0.7
Rod Nichols0.4
Steve Olin0.3
Eric Bell0.0

Current & Historical Payroll

1993 payroll
$17.7M

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 (14)

PlayerAgeSvc1993199419951996199719981999
Bob Ojeda3513.000$1.7MFREE AGENT
Felix Fermin296.000$975kFREE AGENT
Eric Plunk297.000$725k$625k$725k$750k$1.9M$1.1MFREE AGENT
Mike Bielecki339.000$500kFREE AGENT
Alvaro Espinoza319.000$500k$475k$450k$221kFREE AGENT
Candy Maldonado3212.000$471k$1.6MFREE AGENT
Junior Ortiz3311.000$395kFREE AGENT
Jeff Treadway306.000$375kFREE AGENT
Jose Mesa276.000$325k$600k$1.4M$1.9M$1.9M$984kFREE AGENT
Ted Power3812.000$200kFREE AGENT
Lance Parrish3716.000$125kFREE AGENT
Randy Milligan316.000$118kFREE AGENT
Sam Horn296.000—FREE AGENT
Matt Young3410.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (16)

PlayerAgeSvc1993199419951996199719981999
Albert Belle264.000$1.7MARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Baerga243.000$1.4MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sandy Alomar Jr.275.000$1.3MFREE AGENT
Scott Scudder254.000$750kARB 3FREE AGENT
Derek Lilliquist274.000$725kARB 3FREE AGENT
Glenallen Hill284.000$663kARB 3FREE AGENT
Dennis Cook305.000$610kFREE AGENT
Charles Nagy263.000$542kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Martinez275.000$500kFREE AGENT
Paul Sorrento274.000$350kARB 3FREE AGENT
Thomas Howard283.000$215kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Grimsley254.000$125kARB 3FREE AGENT
Cliff Young283.000$125kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Wickander284.000$36kARB 3FREE AGENT
Paul Abbott253.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bob Milacki285.000—FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (18)

PlayerAgeSvc1993199419951996199719981999
Kenny Lofton262.000$450kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Lewis232.000$175kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Reggie Jefferson242.000$142kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Thome222.000$135kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Clark252.000$130kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Christopher292.000$123kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Wayne Kirby292.000$123kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Mutis262.000$114kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Heathcliff Slocumb272.000$110kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jerry Dipoto250.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Manny Ramirez210.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tom Kramer252.000$109kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Mlicki251.000$109kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill Wertz260.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Julian Tavarez200.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeremy Hernandez262.000$86kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jesse Levis251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Albie Lopez210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Guardians 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.