RRosternomics
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Tigers DET

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GM: Dave Dombrowski

Overview

REBUILD ↘ cooling
cheap & losing · year 3 in this regime · payroll 0.71× league · TAB -28.3
-28.3TAB — talent above budget30th/30
-34.5WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)30th/30
0.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars30th/30
-9.8dead WAR — sub-replacement drag30th/30
83%dead money %30th/30
0.265win %30th/30
1.7roster fWAR30th/30
-47surplus $M (value vs cost)27th/30
$49Mpayroll $M22nd/30

Roster

CFAlex Sanchez 135GAndres Torres 36GGene Kingsale 23G
LFCraig Monroe 75GDmitri Young 61GBen Petrick 19G
RFBobby Higginson 117GCraig Monroe 38GAndres Torres 16G
SSRamon Santiago 85GOmar Infante 63GShane Halter 27G
2BWarren Morris 89GRamon Santiago 53GShane Halter 24G
3BEric Munson 91GShane Halter 50GDmitri Young 16G
1BCarlos Pena 128GKevin Witt 27GShane Halter 12G
STARTERSNate Cornejo 1.5WARJeremy Bonderman 1.2WARMike Maroth 0.6WARNate Robertson 0.3WARGary Knotts 0.2WAR
CBrandon Inge 104GMatt Walbeck 55GA.J. Hinch 27G
DHDmitri Young 73GKevin Witt 36GDean Palmer 22G
BULLPEN★ Jamie Walker 3svChris Spurling 4hFranklyn German 4hMatt Anderson 4hEric Eckenstahler 4hFernando Rodney 3hChris Mears 1hSteve Avery 1h
CBrandon Inge 104 · Matt Walbeck 55 · A.J. Hinch 27
1BCarlos Pena 128 · Kevin Witt 27 · Shane Halter 12
2BWarren Morris 89 · Ramon Santiago 53 · Shane Halter 24
3BEric Munson 91 · Shane Halter 50 · Dmitri Young 16
SSRamon Santiago 85 · Omar Infante 63 · Shane Halter 27
LFCraig Monroe 75 · Dmitri Young 61 · Ben Petrick 19
CFAlex Sanchez 135 · Andres Torres 36 · Gene Kingsale 23
RFBobby Higginson 117 · Craig Monroe 38 · Andres Torres 16
DHDmitri Young 73 · Kevin Witt 36 · Dean Palmer 22
SPNate Cornejo 1.5 · Jeremy Bonderman 1.2 · Mike Maroth 0.6 · Nate Robertson 0.3 · Gary Knotts 0.2
BP★ Jamie Walker 3 · Chris Spurling 4 · Franklyn German 4 · Matt Anderson 4 · Eric Eckenstahler 4 · Fernando Rodney 3 · Chris Mears 1 · Steve Avery 1

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.

2003 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Dmitri Young 29 FA-elig 1551.9 6.8 -3.4
Nate Cornejo 23 pre-arb 321.5 0.3 +2.4
Jeremy Bonderman 20 pre-arb 331.2 0.3 +1.9
Warren Morris 29 – 970.9 – –
Craig Monroe 26 – 1280.6 – –
Brandon Inge 26 pre-arb 1040.6 0.3 +0.8
Carlos Pena 25 pre-arb 1310.6 0.3 +0.7
Mike Maroth 25 pre-arb 330.6 0.3 +0.7
Fernando Rodney 26 – 270.5 – –
Adam Bernero↔ COL 26 arb 190.5 0.1 +0.7
Shane Halter 33 FA-elig 1140.5 2.1 -1.3
Danny Patterson 32 FA-elig 190.4 2.5 -1.8
Eric Munson 25 arb 990.3 1.7 -1.1
Jamie Walker 31 FA-elig 780.3 0.4 +0.1
Nate Robertson 25 – 80.3 – –
Ben Petrick↔ COL 26 – 430.3 – –
Gary Knotts 26 pre-arb 200.2 0.3 +0.1
Chris Mears 25 – 290.1 – –
Danny Klassen 27 – 220.1 – –
Chris Spurling 26 pre-arb 660.1 0.3 -0.2
Wilfredo Ledezma 22 pre-arb 340.1 0.3 -0.2
Alex Sanchez↔ MIL 26 pre-arb 1010.0 0.2 -0.2
Cody Ross 22 – 6-0.0 0.3 -0.3
Brian Schmack 29 – 11-0.0 – –
Eric Eckenstahler 26 – 20-0.1 – –
Steve Sparks↔ OAK 37 FA-elig 42-0.1 3.7 -3.8
Ernie Young 33 – 5-0.1 – –
Kevin Witt 27 – 93-0.2 – –
A.J. Hinch 29 – 27-0.2 – –
Bobby Higginson 32 FA-elig 130-0.2 11.8 -12.3
Shane Loux 23 – 11-0.3 – –
Andres Torres 25 – 59-0.4 – –
Matt Anderson 26 arb 23-0.4 3.2 -3.9
Matt Roney 23 pre-arb 45-0.5 0.3 -1.2
Omar Infante 21 pre-arb 69-0.6 0.3 -1.3
Hiram Bocachica 27 arb 6-0.6 0.3 -1.4
Steve Avery 33 – 19-0.6 – –
Craig Paquette 34 FA-elig 11-0.7 2.6 -3.8
Gene Kingsale 26 FA-elig 39-0.7 0.3 -1.6
Franklyn German 23 pre-arb 45-0.7 0.3 -1.6
Dean Palmer 34 FA-elig 26-0.9 8.5 -10.1
Matt Walbeck 33 FA-elig 59-1.2 0.4 -2.5
Ramon Santiago 23 pre-arb 141-1.3 0.3 -2.6

Key additions (new vs 2002)

PlayerfWAR
Jeremy Bonderman1.2
Warren Morris0.9
Nate Robertson0.3
Ben Petrick0.3
Gary Knotts0.2
Chris Mears0.1

Key subtractions (gone from 2002)

Player2002 fWAR
Mark Redman4.0
Jeff Weaver3.2
Robert Fick1.8
Damion Easley1.0
Juan Acevedo0.9
Damian Jackson0.8

Current & Historical Payroll

2003 payroll
$48.7M

What the front office was committed to as of 2003, 2003–2009. 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 (12)

PlayerAgeSvc2003200420052006200720082009
Bobby Higginson328.000$11.8M$8.8M$8.8MFREE AGENT
Dean Palmer3414.000$8.5MFREE AGENT
Dmitri Young297.000$6.8M$7.8M$8.0M$8.0MFREE AGENT
Steve Sparks378.000$3.7MFREE AGENT
Craig Paquette3410.000$2.6MFREE AGENT
Danny Patterson327.000$2.5M$2.8MFREE AGENT
Shane Halter336.000$2.1MFREE AGENT
Matt Walbeck3310.000$400kFREE AGENT
Jamie Walker316.000$360k$775k$900k$1.2MFREE AGENT
Gene Kingsale267.000$340kFREE AGENT
Steve Avery3313.000—FREE AGENT
Ernie Young339.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (8)

PlayerAgeSvc2003200420052006200720082009
Matt Anderson265.000$3.2MFREE AGENT
Eric Munson253.000$1.7MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Hiram Bocachica273.000$325kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Adam Bernero263.000$119kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
A.J. Hinch295.000—FREE AGENT
Danny Klassen275.000—FREE AGENT
Ben Petrick264.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT
Warren Morris294.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (23)

PlayerAgeSvc2003200420052006200720082009
Brandon Inge262.000$315kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Pena252.000$310kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Maroth251.000$309kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ramon Santiago231.000$307kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gary Knotts262.000$305kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Spurling260.000$305kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nate Cornejo232.000$303kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Cody Ross220.000$300kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Wilfredo Ledezma220.000$300kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Franklyn German231.000$300kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Omar Infante211.000$300kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Roney230.000$300kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeremy Bonderman200.000$300kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alex Sanchez262.000$238kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Witt27–—
Chris Mears25–—
Shane Loux231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Andres Torres251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Craig Monroe262.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Fernando Rodney261.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nate Robertson251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eric Eckenstahler26–—
Brian Schmack29–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Tigers 2003; 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.