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Tigers DET

199969–92 (0.429)
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GM: Randy Smith

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1999, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$38M
Surplus $M
-2
Win %
0.429
TAB
-3.2
WAB
-9.4
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
27.9
Dead money %
42%
Depth Players
4.0
Dead WAR
-4.1

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1999 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RBrad Ausmus127
RBill Haselman39
LRobert Fick4

1B

BTony Clark132
LFrank Catalanotto32
RJason Wood5
BGregg Jefferies3
LRobert Fick3

2B

RDamion Easley147
LFrank Catalanotto32
BGregg Jefferies2
RJason Wood1
BJose Macias1
RLuis Garcia1

3B

RDean Palmer141
LFrank Catalanotto21
RJason Wood9
RGabe Alvarez2

SS

RDeivi Cruz155
RDamion Easley19
RJason Wood9
RLuis Garcia7

LF

RJuan Encarnacion118
LKarim Garcia35
LLuis Polonia31
BGregg Jefferies2

CF

RGabe Kapler114
RKimera Bartee38
RJuan Encarnacion22

RF

LBobby Higginson88
LKarim Garcia55
RGabe Kapler32
LLuis Polonia10
RGabe Alvarez5
RJuan Encarnacion1

DH

BGregg Jefferies43
LLuis Polonia43
LBobby Higginson17
BTony Clark11
RDean Palmer9
RGabe Alvarez9
LRobert Fick8
LFrank Catalanotto7
RBill Haselman3
RJason Wood1
LKarim Garcia1

Starters

RBrian Moehler3.4 WAR
RDave Mlicki⇄2.8 WAR
RJeff Weaver1.8 WAR
LJustin Thompson1.0 WAR
RDave Borkowski0.6 WAR
RBryce Florie⇄0.6 WAR
LC.J. Nitkowski0.5 WAR
RNelson Cruz0.4 WAR
RWillie Blair0.1 WAR
RBeiker Graterol-0.3 WAR

Bullpen

★ RTodd Jones30 sv
RDoug Brocail23 h
RFrancisco Cordero6 h
RMasao Kida4 h
RMatt Anderson3 h
LWill Brunson1 h
LSean Runyan1 h
RBryce Florie⇄0 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 1998)

PlayerfWAR
Brad Ausmus3.3
Dave Mlicki2.8
Jeff Weaver1.8
Dean Palmer1.5
Luis Polonia1.1
Dave Borkowski0.6

Key subtractions (gone from 1998)

Player1998 fWAR
Joe Randa1.8
Luis Gonzalez1.7
Seth Greisinger1.3
Frank Castillo1.0
Paul Bako0.6
Tim Worrell0.6

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 1999; everyone else is shown as a 1999 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Brian Moehler 1999 +3.4 +53.3 0.5 +52.8 $0.1M 1.96× –
Dave Mlicki↔ 1999 +2.8 +43.4 2.1 +41.3 $0.8M 1.96× –
Brad Ausmus 1999 +3.3 +26.7 2.2 +24.5 $0.7M 1.00× –
Tony Clark 1999 +2.9 +25.1 2.4 +22.7 $0.8M 1.07× –
Jeff Weaver 1999 +1.8 +21.2 0.2 +21.0 $0.1M 1.49× –
Gabe Kapler 1999 +1.8 +17.5 0.2 +17.3 $0.1M 1.22× –
Juan Encarnacion 1999 +1.5 +14.7 0.2 +14.4 $0.2M 1.22× –
Doug Brocail 1999 +1.8 +14.1 0.9 +13.2 $0.5M 0.98× –
Deivi Cruz 1999 +1.7 +12.0 0.4 +11.6 $0.3M 0.89× –
Damion Easley 1999 +1.7 +11.1 3.4 +7.7 $2.0M 0.82× –
Justin Thompson 1999 +1.0 +8.3 0.7 +7.7 $0.6M 1.02× –
Todd Jones 1999 +0.8 +8.8 2.5 +6.3 $3.0M 1.34× –
Luis Polonia 1999 +1.1 +6.0 0.3 +5.7 $0.3M 0.69× –
Dean Palmer 1999 +1.5 +10.3 5.0 +5.3 $3.3M 0.85× –
Dave Borkowski 1999 +0.6 +5.1 0.2 +4.9 $0.3M 1.02× –
Brian L. Hunter↔ 1999 +0.5 +3.3 0.2 +3.1 $0.5M 0.83× –
Kimera Bartee 1999 +0.4 +2.8 0.2 +2.6 $0.6M 0.83× –
C.J. Nitkowski 1999 +0.5 +2.8 0.3 +2.5 $0.6M 0.67× –
Bryce Florie↔ 1999 +0.6 +3.0 0.9 +2.1 $1.5M 0.67× –
Nelson Cruz 1999 +0.4 +2.2 0.2 +2.0 $0.5M 0.67× –
Frank Catalanotto 1999 +0.5 +2.0 0.2 +1.8 $0.5M 0.56× –
Masao Kida 1999 +0.4 +2.4 1.6 +0.8 $3.6M 0.67× –
Jose Macias 1999 +0.2 +0.7 0.2 +0.5 $1.2M 0.56× –
Bill Haselman 1999 +0.2 +0.9 0.7 +0.3 $3.0M 0.52× –
Karim Garcia 1999 +0.1 +0.5 0.3 +0.2 $3.5M 0.83× –
Robert Fick 1999 +0.1 +0.4 0.2 +0.2 $2.9M 0.69× –
Francisco Cordero 1999 -0.0 -0.1 0.2 -0.3 – 0.67× –
Sean Runyan 1999 -0.0 -0.2 0.3 -0.5 – 0.67× –
Felipe Lira 1999 -0.2 -0.8 0.4 -1.2 – 0.67× –
Bobby Higginson 1999 +0.3 +2.0 3.8 -1.8 $12.6M 0.83× –
Jason Wood 1999 -0.5 -2.4 0.2 -2.6 – 0.58× –
Willie Blair 1999 +0.1 +0.4 3.8 -3.4 $55.3M 0.67× –
Matt Anderson 1999 -0.6 -3.4 0.2 -3.6 – 0.67× –
Mel Rojas↔ 1999 -0.4 -2.0 1.8 -3.8 – 0.67× –
Gregg Jefferies 1999 -1.3 -7.5 1.4 -8.8 – 0.69× –
Beiker Graterol 1999 -0.3 -2.1 – – – 1.02× –
Erik Hiljus 1999 -0.2 -1.1 – – – 0.67× –
Gabe Alvarez 1999 -0.3 -1.6 – – – 0.69× –
Luis Garcia 1999 -0.2 -1.0 – – – 0.61× –
Will Brunson 1999 -0.1 -0.6 – – – 0.67× –
Willis Roberts 1999 -0.0 -0.0 – – – 0.67× –
Total—+27.9+278.238.3+246.5—

Trades

Every graded 1999 deal involving the Tigers — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 6 total.

1999 · MIA / DET
MIA · Dave Dombrowski +$0.8M
Mike Drumright#35
DET · Randy Smith −$0.8M
Brandon Villafuerte
MIA came out ahead by $0.8M
1999 · DET / SEA
DET · Randy Smith +$16.8M
Andy Van Hekken, Jerry Amador
SEA · Woody Woodward −$16.8M
Brian Hunter
DET came out ahead by $16.8M
1999 · DET / LAD
DET · Randy Smith +$6.4M
Dave Mlicki, Mel Rojas
LAD · Kevin Malone −$6.4M
Robinson Checo, Apostol Garcia, Richard Roberts
DET came out ahead by $6.4M
1999 · DET / BOS
DET · Randy Smith +$26.4M
Mike Maroth
BOS · Dan Duquette −$26.4M
Bryce Florie
DET came out ahead by $26.4M
1999 · DET / HOU
DET · Randy Smith +$50.4M
Brad Ausmus, C. J. Nitkowski
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker −$50.4M
Paul Bako, Dean Crow, Mark Persails, Brian Powell, Carlos Villalobos
DET came out ahead by $50.4M
1999 · TEX / DET
TEX · Douglas Melvin +$55.2M
Frank Catalanotto, Francisco Cordero, Bill Haselman, Gabe Kapler, Justin Thompson, Alan Webb
DET · Randy Smith −$55.2M
Juan González, Danny Patterson, Gregg Zaun
TEX came out ahead by $55.2M

Current & Historical Payroll

1999 payroll
$38.1M

What the front office was committed to as of 1999, 1999–2005. 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 (11)

PlayerAgeSvc1999200020012002200320042005
Dean Palmer3010.000$5.0M$7.0M$7.5M$8.0M$8.5MFREE AGENT
Willie Blair339.000$3.8M$4.5MFREE AGENT
Damion Easley297.000$3.4M$4.0M$5.1M$6.2MFREE AGENT
Todd Jones316.000$2.5M$3.6M$2.6MFREE AGENT
Brad Ausmus306.000$2.2M$4.0MFREE AGENT
Dave Mlicki317.000$2.1M$4.5M$3.0MFREE AGENT
Mel Rojas329.000$1.8MFREE AGENT
Gregg Jefferies3112.000$1.4M$3.1MFREE AGENT
Doug Brocail327.000$900k$1.3MFREE AGENT
Bill Haselman339.000$650kFREE AGENT
Luis Polonia3512.000$300k$752kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (10)

PlayerAgeSvc1999200020012002200320042005
Bobby Higginson284.000$3.8MARB 3FREE AGENT
Tony Clark274.000$2.4MARB 3FREE AGENT
Bryce Florie295.000$856kFREE AGENT
Justin Thompson263.000$650kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Moehler273.000$467kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Felipe Lira274.000$380kARB 3FREE AGENT
C.J. Nitkowski264.000$300kARB 3FREE AGENT
Karim Garcia234.000$270kARB 3FREE AGENT
Kimera Bartee263.000$240kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian L. Hunter285.000$227kFREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (20)

PlayerAgeSvc1999200020012002200320042005
Masao Kida300.000$1.6MPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Deivi Cruz262.000$430kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sean Runyan251.000$280kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Anderson221.000$240kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Frank Catalanotto252.000$238kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Juan Encarnacion232.000$233kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nelson Cruz262.000$210kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Wood291.000$210kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gabe Kapler231.000$200kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Robert Fick251.000$200kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Borkowski220.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Francisco Cordero240.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Macias270.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Weaver220.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Will Brunson29–—
Gabe Alvarez251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Luis Garcia24–—
Beiker Graterol24–—
Erik Hiljus260.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Willis Roberts240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1999 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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