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Tigers DET

199079–83 (0.488)
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GM: Bill Lajoie

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1990, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$19M
Surplus $M
-6
Win %
0.488
TAB
-6.7
WAB
-4.3
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
28.8
Dead money %
28%
Depth Players
6.0
Dead WAR
-8.2

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1990 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RMike Heath117
LMark Salas57
LMatt Nokes⇄44
RRich Rowland5

1B

RCecil Fielder143
LDave Bergman27
RGary Ward2
RJim Lindeman1

2B

LLou Whitaker130
BTony Phillips47
RJohnny Paredes⇄6

3B

BTony Phillips104
RTravis Fryman48
REd Romero27
RDarnell Coles⇄14
LMark Salas1

SS

RAlan Trammell142
RTravis Fryman17
BTony Phillips11
RMike Heath1

LF

RGary Ward75
LLarry Sheets56
BJohn Shelby⇄31
LLloyd Moseby14
LScott Lusader12
LDave Bergman5
RDarnell Coles⇄4
BTony Phillips4

CF

LLloyd Moseby103
BJohn Shelby⇄36
BMilt Cuyler17
LScott Lusader5
RChet Lemon3
BTony Phillips1

RF

RChet Lemon94
RDarnell Coles⇄29
LScott Lusader26
LLarry Sheets23
BJohn Shelby⇄17
RGary Ward16
BTony Phillips4
RMike Heath3
RJim Lindeman1

DH

LLarry Sheets38
LDave Bergman30
RDarnell Coles⇄17
RCecil Fielder15
RGary Ward7
RJim Lindeman6
LLloyd Moseby4
BTony Phillips4
RAlan Trammell3
RChet Lemon2
RMike Heath2
RRich Rowland2

Starters

RJack Morris2.9 WAR
LFrank Tanana0.8 WAR
RDan Petry0.8 WAR
RWalt Terrell⇄0.5 WAR
LSteve Searcy0.3 WAR
RLance McCullers⇄0.2 WAR
LBrian Dubois0.2 WAR
LScott Aldred0.2 WAR
RRandy Nosek-0.2 WAR
RKevin Ritz-0.2 WAR
RClay Parker⇄-0.4 WAR
RJeff Robinson-0.8 WAR
RUrbano Lugo-1.0 WAR

Bullpen

★ RMike Henneman22 sv
LPaul Gibson0 h
LJerry Don Gleaton0 h
REdwin Nunez0 h
RClay Parker⇄0 h
RUrbano Lugo0 h
RLance McCullers⇄0 h
LScott Aldred0 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 1989)

PlayerfWAR
Cecil Fielder6.5
Tony Phillips4.4
Travis Fryman2.0
Lloyd Moseby1.3
Jerry Don Gleaton1.1
Dan Petry0.8

Key subtractions (gone from 1989)

Player1989 fWAR
Gary Pettis2.4
Doyle Alexander0.9
Keith Moreland0.7
Fred Lynn0.6
David Palmer0.2
Ramon Pena0.2

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Tigers. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 1990; everyone else is shown as a 1990 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Alan Trammell 1990 +6.2 +74.3 1.8 +72.5 $0.3M 1.51× –
Cecil Fielder 1990 +6.5 +71.3 1.2 +70.0 $0.2M 1.37× –
Jack Morris 1990 +2.9 +45.4 2.1 +43.3 $0.7M 1.96× –
Tony Phillips 1990 +4.4 +43.6 0.9 +42.7 $0.2M 1.25× –
Lou Whitaker 1990 +3.5 +34.1 1.8 +32.3 $0.5M 1.20× –
Chet Lemon 1990 +2.1 +20.2 0.8 +19.4 $0.4M 1.22× –
Travis Fryman 1990 +2.0 +13.5 0.1 +13.4 $0.1M 0.85× –
Mike Henneman 1990 +1.2 +12.3 0.3 +12.0 $0.3M 1.34× –
Ed Nunez 1990 +1.1 +11.9 0.4 +11.5 $0.4M 1.34× –
Lloyd Moseby 1990 +1.3 +8.4 1.4 +7.0 $1.1M 0.83× –
Frank Tanana 1990 +0.8 +6.9 1.1 +5.8 $1.3M 1.02× –
Dan Petry 1990 +0.8 +6.1 0.5 +5.7 $0.6M 1.02× –
Walt Terrell↔ 1990 +0.5 +4.3 0.4 +3.9 $0.7M 1.02× –
Steve Searcy 1990 +0.3 +2.6 0.1 +2.5 $0.3M 1.02× –
Mark Salas 1990 +0.6 +2.5 0.2 +2.3 $0.4M 0.52× –
Mike Heath 1990 +0.6 +2.3 0.6 +1.7 $1.1M 0.52× –
Brian Dubois 1990 +0.2 +1.5 0.1 +1.4 $0.6M 1.02× –
Dave Bergman 1990 +0.4 +1.9 0.5 +1.4 $1.5M 0.69× –
Scott Aldred 1990 +0.2 +1.2 0.1 +1.1 $0.7M 1.02× –
Milt Cuyler 1990 +0.2 +1.1 0.1 +1.0 $0.6M 0.83× –
Lance McCullers Sr.↔ 1990 +0.2 +1.0 0.3 +0.8 $1.5M 0.67× –
Matt Nokes↔ 1990 +0.2 +0.8 0.2 +0.6 $1.1M 0.52× –
Mike Schwabe 1990 +0.1 +0.3 0.1 +0.2 $1.8M 0.67× –
Johnny Paredes↔ 1990 -0.1 -0.3 0.1 -0.4 – 0.56× –
Steve Wapnick 1990 -0.1 -0.4 0.1 -0.5 – 0.67× –
Paul Gibson 1990 -0.2 -0.9 0.1 -1.0 – 0.67× –
Scott Lusader 1990 -0.2 -1.1 0.1 -1.3 – 0.83× –
Randy Nosek 1990 -0.2 -1.4 0.1 -1.5 – 1.02× –
Ed Romero 1990 -0.3 -1.4 0.3 -1.7 – 0.58× –
Kevin Ritz 1990 -0.2 -1.6 0.1 -1.7 – 1.02× –
Clay Parker↔ 1990 -0.4 -2.4 0.1 -2.5 – 0.67× –
John Shelby↔ 1990 -0.5 -3.2 0.4 -3.5 – 0.83× –
Gary Ward 1990 -0.6 -4.0 0.5 -4.5 – 0.83× –
Tracy Jones↔ 1990 -0.7 -4.9 0.2 -5.2 – 0.83× –
Kenny Williams↔ 1990 -0.9 -5.8 0.1 -5.9 – 0.83× –
Darnell Coles↔ 1990 -0.9 -5.8 0.4 -6.2 – 0.83× –
Larry Sheets 1990 -0.9 -5.9 0.7 -6.5 – 0.83× –
Jeff Robinson 1990 -0.8 -6.9 0.3 -7.2 – 1.02× –
Jerry Don Gleaton 1990 +1.1 +11.9 – – – 1.34× –
Jim Lindeman 1990 -0.0 -0.2 – – – 0.69× –
Matt Kinzer 1990 -0.0 -0.2 – – – 0.67× –
Rich Rowland 1990 -0.3 -1.0 – – – 0.52× –
Urbano Lugo 1990 -1.0 -5.5 – – – 0.67× –
Total—+29.1+326.518.7+302.9—

Trades

Every graded 1990 deal involving the Tigers — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 6 total.

1990 · DET / NYY
DET · Bill Lajoie +$4.0M
Lance McCullers, Clay Parker
NYY · Hardy Peterson −$4.0M
Matt Nokes
DET came out ahead by $4.0M
1990 · HOU / DET
HOU · Bill Wood +$0.0M
Doug Strange
DET · Bill Lajoie +$0.0M
Lou Frazier
Even trade
1990 · BAL / DET
BAL · Roland Hemond +$10.4M
Mike Brumley
DET · Bill Lajoie −$10.4M
Larry Sheets
BAL came out ahead by $10.4M
1990 · SEA / DET
SEA · Woody Woodward +$6.4M
Tracy Jones
DET · Bill Lajoie −$6.4M
Darnell Coles
SEA came out ahead by $6.4M
1990 · LAD / DET
LAD · Fred Claire +$3.2M
Mike Wilkins
DET · Bill Lajoie −$3.2M
Mike Munoz
LAD came out ahead by $3.2M
1990 · DET / KCR
DET · Bill Lajoie +$4.8M
Jerry Don Gleaton
KCR · John Schuerholz −$4.8M
Chuck Everson
DET came out ahead by $4.8M

Current & Historical Payroll

1990 payroll
$19.0M

What the front office was committed to as of 1990, 1990–1996. 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 (19)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Jack Morris3513.000$2.1MFREE AGENT
Lou Whitaker3313.000$1.8M$2.0M$2.2M$3.4M$2.8M$3.8MFREE AGENT
Alan Trammell3213.000$1.8M$2.2M$2.4M$1.8M$3.0M$1.3M$600k
Lloyd Moseby3010.000$1.4M$1.6MFREE AGENT
Frank Tanana3617.000$1.1M$1.9M$1.7MFREE AGENT
Tony Phillips318.000$867k$1.6M$1.6M$3.9M$2.4MFREE AGENT
Chet Lemon3515.000$829kFREE AGENT
Larry Sheets306.000$670kFREE AGENT
Mike Heath3512.000$600kFREE AGENT
Gary Ward3611.000$538kFREE AGENT
Dave Bergman3715.000$525k$575k$375kFREE AGENT
Dan Petry3111.000$475k$276kFREE AGENT
Darnell Coles287.000$403kFREE AGENT
Ed Nunez278.000$400kFREE AGENT
John Shelby329.000$379k$525kFREE AGENT
Walt Terrell328.000$359k$1.0M$109kFREE AGENT
Ed Romero3213.000$350kFREE AGENT
Mark Salas296.000$225k$450kFREE AGENT
Jerry Don Gleaton3211.000—$510kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (10)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Cecil Fielder265.000$1.2MFREE AGENT
Jeff Robinson283.000$336kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Henneman283.000$335kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lance McCullers Sr.265.000$293kFREE AGENT
Tracy Jones294.000$250kARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Nokes265.000$210kFREE AGENT
Clay Parker273.000$124kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Lusader253.000$114kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kenny Williams264.000$86kARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Lindeman284.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (14)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Paul Gibson302.000$150kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Ritz251.000$118kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Dubois231.000$110kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Searcy262.000$107kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Schwabe251.000$107kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Aldred220.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Milt Cuyler210.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Travis Fryman210.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Wapnick240.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Randy Nosek231.000$100kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Johnny Paredes272.000$68kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Kinzer27–—
Urbano Lugo27–—
Rich Rowland260.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1990 acquisition stacked onto Tigers'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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