RRosternomics
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Tigers DET

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GM: Randy Smith

Overview

WINDOW ↗ rising
cheap & winning · year 1 in this regime · payroll 0.53× league · TAB +3.0
+3.0TAB — talent above budget13th/30
-8.6WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)26th/30
5.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars19th/30
-4.7dead WAR — sub-replacement drag14th/30
40%dead money %23rd/30
0.401win %26th/30
29.4roster fWAR18th/30
+10surplus $M (value vs cost)5th/30
$22Mpayroll $M27th/30

Roster

CFBrian L. Hunter 139GKimera Bartee 18GJuan Encarnacion 13G
LFLuis Gonzalez 132GBobby Higginson 17GGerónimo Berroa 16G
RFBobby Higginson 136GJuan Encarnacion 21GGabe Kapler 6G
SSDeivi Cruz 135GDamion Easley 30GBilly Ripken 21G
2BDamion Easley 140GFrank Catalanotto 31GJoe Randa 20G
3BJoe Randa 118GGabe Alvarez 55GFrank Catalanotto 3G
1BTony Clark 142GFrank Catalanotto 18GJason Wood 6G
STARTERSJustin Thompson 4.3WARBrian Moehler 3.1WARBryce Florie 1.5WARSeth Greisinger 1.3WARFrank Castillo 1.0WAR
CPaul Bako 94GJoe Siddall 27GRaul Casanova 14G
DHGerónimo Berroa 36GBip Roberts 26GFrank Catalanotto 19G
BULLPEN★ Todd Jones 28svSean Runyan 0hDoug Brocail 0hDoug Bochtler 0hMatt Anderson 0hDean Crow 0hA.J. Sager 0hRoberto Duran 0h
CPaul Bako 94 · Joe Siddall 27 · Raul Casanova 14
1BTony Clark 142 · Frank Catalanotto 18 · Jason Wood 6
2BDamion Easley 140 · Frank Catalanotto 31 · Joe Randa 20
3BJoe Randa 118 · Gabe Alvarez 55 · Frank Catalanotto 3
SSDeivi Cruz 135 · Damion Easley 30 · Billy Ripken 21
LFLuis Gonzalez 132 · Bobby Higginson 17 · Gerónimo Berroa 16
CFBrian L. Hunter 139 · Kimera Bartee 18 · Juan Encarnacion 13
RFBobby Higginson 136 · Juan Encarnacion 21 · Gabe Kapler 6
DHGerónimo Berroa 36 · Bip Roberts 26 · Frank Catalanotto 19
SPJustin Thompson 4.3 · Brian Moehler 3.1 · Bryce Florie 1.5 · Seth Greisinger 1.3 · Frank Castillo 1.0
BP★ Todd Jones 28 · Sean Runyan 0 · Doug Brocail 0 · Doug Bochtler 0 · Matt Anderson 0 · Dean Crow 0 · A.J. Sager 0 · Roberto Duran 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.

1998 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Damion Easley 28 FA-elig 1534.8 2.0 +3.1
Justin Thompson 25 pre-arb 344.3 0.4 +4.3
Tony Clark 26 arb 1573.3 0.8 +2.8
Brian Moehler 26 pre-arb 333.1 0.2 +3.1
Bobby Higginson 27 arb 1572.3 2.4 +0.0
Joe Randa 28 arb 1381.8 0.4 +1.6
Luis Gonzalez 30 FA-elig 1541.7 2.0 -0.1
Doug Brocail 31 FA-elig 601.7 0.8 +1.0
Bryce Florie 28 arb 421.5 0.6 +1.1
Deivi Cruz 25 pre-arb 1351.4 0.2 +1.3
Brian L. Hunter 27 arb 1421.4 0.6 +1.0
Seth Greisinger 22 pre-arb 211.3 0.2 +1.2
Frank Castillo 29 FA-elig 271.0 1.8 -0.7
Juan Encarnacion 22 pre-arb 400.7 0.2 +0.6
Paul Bako 26 pre-arb 960.6 0.2 +0.4
Tim Worrell↔ CLE 30 arb 150.6 0.3 +0.2
Robert Fick 24 pre-arb 70.4 0.2 +0.3
Matt Anderson 21 pre-arb 420.4 0.2 +0.3
Kimera Bartee 25 pre-arb 570.4 0.2 +0.3
Todd Jones 30 arb 650.3 2.2 -1.9
Frank Catalanotto 24 pre-arb 890.3 0.2 +0.2
Greg Keagle 27 pre-arb 90.2 0.2 +0.1
Joe Siddall 30 arb 290.1 0.2 -0.1
Billy Ripken 33 FA-elig 270.1 0.4 -0.3
Jason Wood↔ OAK 28 pre-arb 100.1 0.1 -0.0
Jeff Manto↔ CLE 33 FA-elig 160.1 0.1 -0.1
Will Brunson↔ LAD 28 – 80.1 – –
Scott Sanders↔ SDP 29 arb 30.1 0.2 -0.1
A.J. Sager 33 arb 310.0 0.3 -0.3
Denny Harriger 28 – 40.0 – –
Trey Beamon 24 pre-arb 28-0.0 0.2 -0.2
Roberto Duran 25 pre-arb 18-0.0 0.2 -0.2
Brian Powell 24 pre-arb 18-0.0 0.2 -0.2
Marino Santana 26 – 7-0.1 – –
Dean Crow 25 – 32-0.1 – –
Sean Runyan 24 pre-arb 88-0.1 0.2 -0.3
Gabe Kapler 22 – 7-0.2 – –
Raul Casanova 25 pre-arb 16-0.2 0.2 -0.4
Joe Oliver↔ SEA 32 FA-elig 50-0.2 0.5 -0.7
Pete Incaviglia↔ HOU 34 FA-elig 7-0.3 0.1 -0.4
Bip Roberts↔ OAK 34 FA-elig 34-0.3 0.8 -1.2
Andy Tomberlin 31 – 32-0.4 – –
Geronimo Berroa↔ CLE 33 FA-elig 52-0.5 1.6 -2.2
Gabe Alvarez 24 pre-arb 58-1.0 0.2 -1.2
Doug Bochtler 27 arb 51-1.2 0.3 -1.6

Key additions (new vs 1997)

PlayerfWAR
Joe Randa1.8
Luis Gonzalez1.7
Bryce Florie1.5
Seth Greisinger1.3
Frank Castillo1.0
Paul Bako0.6

Key subtractions (gone from 1997)

Player1997 fWAR
Travis Fryman3.1
Willie Blair2.9
Omar Olivares2.0
Bob Hamelin1.2
Felipe Lira0.5
Glenn Dishman0.3

Current & Historical Payroll

1998 payroll
$22.0M

What the front office was committed to as of 1998, 1998–2004. 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 (10)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Damion Easley286.000$2.0M$3.4M$4.0M$5.1M$6.2MFREE AGENT
Luis Gonzalez308.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Frank Castillo297.000$1.8MFREE AGENT
Geronimo Berroa339.000$1.6MFREE AGENT
Doug Brocail316.000$850k$900k$1.3MFREE AGENT
Bip Roberts3412.000$823kFREE AGENT
Joe Oliver329.000$475kFREE AGENT
Billy Ripken3311.000$400kFREE AGENT
Jeff Manto338.000$129kFREE AGENT
Pete Incaviglia3412.000$105kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (12)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Bobby Higginson273.000$2.4MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Todd Jones305.000$2.2MFREE AGENT
Tony Clark263.000$762kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bryce Florie284.000$600kARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian L. Hunter274.000$562kARB 3FREE AGENT
Joe Randa283.000$375kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tim Worrell305.000$349kFREE AGENT
A.J. Sager334.000$288kARB 3FREE AGENT
Doug Bochtler273.000$288kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Sanders295.000$196kFREE AGENT
Joe Siddall305.000$190kFREE AGENT
Andy Tomberlin315.000—FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (23)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Justin Thompson252.000$400kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Deivi Cruz251.000$245kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Moehler262.000$240kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Raul Casanova252.000$225kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Robert Fick240.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Greg Keagle272.000$200kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kimera Bartee252.000$190kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Trey Beamon242.000$188kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Roberto Duran251.000$178kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Paul Bako260.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Frank Catalanotto241.000$170kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Juan Encarnacion221.000$170kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Powell240.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gabe Alvarez240.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Seth Greisinger220.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sean Runyan240.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Anderson210.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Wood280.000$131kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dean Crow25–—
Denny Harriger28–—
Will Brunson28–—
Marino Santana26–—
Gabe Kapler220.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Tigers 1998; 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.