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Astros HOU

199784–78 (0.519)Made Playoffs
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GM: Gerry Hunsicker

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1997, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$35M
Surplus $M
+14
Win %
0.519
TAB
+14.8
WAB
+3.6
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
47.6
Dead money %
20%
Depth Players
11.0
Dead WAR
-4.7

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1997 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RBrad Ausmus129
RTony Eusebio43
RTony Peña Sr.⇄9
RRandy Knorr3

1B

RJeff Bagwell159
LBill Spiers8
LJ.R. Phillips3
RRandy Knorr2
LLuis Gonzalez1
RTim Bogar1

2B

RCraig Biggio160
RRicky Gutierrez9
LBill Spiers4
RRuss Johnson3
RLuis Rivera1

3B

RSean Berry85
LBill Spiers84
RRicky Gutierrez22
RRuss Johnson14
RTim Bogar14

SS

RTim Bogar80
RRicky Gutierrez64
BPat Listach31
LBill Spiers28
RLuis Rivera6

LF

LLuis Gonzalez146
LBobby Abreu10
BThomas Howard10
RJames Mouton9
RRay Montgomery2
LKen Ramos1
BChuck Carr⇄1
BPat Listach1
RRichard Hidalgo1

CF

BChuck Carr⇄62
BThomas Howard41
RJames Mouton39
RDerek Bell36
RRichard Hidalgo17
BPat Listach4
RRay Montgomery2
LBobby Abreu1

RF

RDerek Bell89
LBobby Abreu43
BThomas Howard18
RRay Montgomery15
RJames Mouton14
LJ.R. Phillips3
LKen Ramos1
BPat Listach1
RRichard Hidalgo1

DH

RSean Berry3
RCraig Biggio1
RDerek Bell1
RJeff Bagwell1

Starters

RDarryl Kile4.1 WAR
LMike Hampton3.1 WAR
RShane Reynolds2.9 WAR
RChris Holt1.5 WAR
RRamon Garcia0.7 WAR
RJose Lima0.3 WAR
RTommy Greene0.1 WAR
LSid Fernandez-0.0 WAR
RDonne Wall-0.3 WAR

Bullpen

★ LBilly Wagner23 sv
LTom Martin0 h
RRuss Springer0 h
RJose Lima0 h
LMike Magnante0 h
RJohn Hudek0 h
RJose Cabrera0 h
RBlas Minor0 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 1996)

PlayerfWAR
Brad Ausmus2.7
Tim Bogar2.3
Luis Gonzalez2.3
Mike Magnante1.1
Chuck Carr0.9
Russ Springer0.9

Key subtractions (gone from 1996)

Player1996 fWAR
Doug Drabek1.7
John Cangelosi1.5
Brian L. Hunter1.0
Derrick May0.7
Orlando Miller0.6
Rick Wilkins0.3

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Astros. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 1997; everyone else is shown as a 1997 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Craig Biggio 1997 +9.3 +102.6 6.3 +96.4 $0.7M 1.38× –
Jeff Bagwell 1997 +8.0 +87.5 8.0 +79.5 $1.0M 1.37× –
Darryl Kile 1997 +4.1 +71.3 1.7 +69.6 $0.4M 2.19× –
Mike Hampton 1997 +3.1 +49.0 1.4 +47.6 $0.5M 1.96× –
Shane Reynolds 1997 +2.9 +45.9 2.0 +43.9 $0.7M 1.96× –
Bill Spiers 1997 +4.4 +43.9 0.6 +43.3 $0.1M 1.25× –
Derek Bell 1997 +2.9 +37.6 3.2 +34.4 $1.1M 1.60× –
Billy Wagner 1997 +2.2 +33.9 0.2 +33.8 $0.1M 1.95× –
Luis Gonzalez 1997 +2.3 +22.4 1.4 +21.0 $0.6M 1.22× –
Brad Ausmus 1997 +2.7 +21.3 1.1 +20.2 $0.4M 1.00× –
Chris Holt 1997 +1.5 +18.1 0.1 +18.0 $0.1M 1.49× –
Tim Bogar 1997 +2.3 +16.6 0.3 +16.3 $0.1M 0.89× –
Chuck Carr↔ 1997 +0.9 +6.3 0.2 +6.1 $0.2M 0.83× –
Mike Magnante 1997 +1.1 +5.8 0.3 +5.5 $0.3M 0.67× –
Russ Springer 1997 +0.9 +4.9 0.4 +4.5 $0.4M 0.67× –
Bobby Abreu 1997 +0.6 +3.9 0.1 +3.7 $0.3M 0.83× –
Ramon Garcia 1997 +0.7 +3.9 0.2 +3.7 $0.2M 0.67× –
Thomas Howard 1997 +0.4 +2.9 0.8 +2.2 $1.7M 0.83× –
Tom Martin 1997 +0.4 +2.3 0.1 +2.2 $0.3M 0.67× –
Richard Hidalgo 1997 +0.3 +1.8 0.1 +1.7 $0.5M 0.83× –
Jose Lima 1997 +0.3 +1.6 0.2 +1.4 $0.6M 0.67× –
Randy Knorr 1997 +0.2 +0.9 0.3 +0.6 $1.4M 0.52× –
Ray Montgomery 1997 -0.0 -0.1 0.2 -0.3 – 0.83× –
Tony Peña Sr.↔ 1997 -0.1 -0.4 0.1 -0.5 – 0.52× –
Sid Fernandez 1997 -0.0 -0.4 0.4 -0.7 – 1.02× –
Sean Berry 1997 +0.0 +0.2 2.2 -2.1 $60.4M 0.58× –
Ricky Gutierrez 1997 -0.6 -2.8 0.4 -3.2 – 0.61× –
James Mouton 1997 -0.7 -4.5 0.4 -4.9 – 0.83× –
Pat Listach 1997 -1.1 -5.3 0.8 -6.1 – 0.61× –
John Hudek 1997 -1.2 -6.6 0.4 -7.0 – 0.67× –
Tony Eusebio 1997 +0.1 +0.6 0.7 -0.0 $4.4M 0.52× –
Blas Minor 1997 -0.1 -0.5 – – – 0.67× –
Donne Wall 1997 -0.3 -2.3 – – – 1.02× –
J.R. Phillips 1997 -0.3 -1.1 – – – 0.56× –
Jose Cabrera 1997 +0.2 +1.2 – – – 0.67× –
Ken Ramos 1997 -0.2 -1.6 – – – 0.83× –
Luis Rivera 1997 -0.1 -0.4 – – – 0.61× –
Manuel Barrios 1997 +0.0 +0.0 – – – 0.67× –
Oscar Henriquez 1997 -0.0 -0.1 – – – 0.67× –
Russ Johnson 1997 +0.1 +0.5 – – – 0.58× –
Tommy Greene 1997 +0.1 +0.6 – – – 1.02× –
Total—+47.3+561.434.6+530.8—

Trades

Every graded 1997 deal involving the Astros — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 6 total.

1997 · HOU / NYM
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker +$123.2M
Carl Everett
NYM · Joe McIlvaine −$123.2M
John Hudek
HOU came out ahead by $123.2M
1997 · HOU / CLE
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker +$1.6M
José Cabrera
CLE · John Hart −$1.6M
Alvin Morman
HOU came out ahead by $1.6M
1997 · HOU / NYM
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker +$7.2M
Tim Bogar
NYM · Joe McIlvaine −$7.2M
Luis López
HOU came out ahead by $7.2M
1997 · CHW / HOU
CHW · Ron Schueler +$2.4M
Julien Tucker
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker −$2.4M
Tony Peña
CHW came out ahead by $2.4M
1997 · HOU / MIA
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker +$146.4M
Moisés Alou
MIA · Dave Dombrowski −$146.4M
Manuel Barrios, Óscar Henríquez, Mark Johnson
HOU came out ahead by $146.4M
1997 · SDP / HOU
SDP · Kevin Towers +$0.0M
Sean Runyan
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker +$0.0M
Luis López
Even trade

Current & Historical Payroll

1997 payroll
$34.7M

What the front office was committed to as of 1997, 1997–2003. 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 (17)

PlayerAgeSvc1997199819992000200120022003
Jeff Bagwell296.000$8.0M$7.9M$6.5M$6.5M$6.5M$11.0M$13.0M
Craig Biggio319.000$6.3M$6.1M$6.1M$6.8M$7.8M$8.8M$9.8M
Derek Bell286.000$3.2M$4.2M$4.5MFREE AGENT
Sean Berry317.000$2.2M$1.0MFREE AGENT
Darryl Kile286.000$1.7MFREE AGENT
Luis Gonzalez297.000$1.4MFREE AGENT
Thomas Howard327.000$750kFREE AGENT
Tony Eusebio306.000$650k$725k$900k$1.1M$1.3MFREE AGENT
Bill Spiers318.000$600k$1.6M$1.6M$1.7M$1.7MFREE AGENT
Sid Fernandez3414.000$375kFREE AGENT
Randy Knorr286.000$300kFREE AGENT
Mike Magnante326.000$290k$600kFREE AGENT
Chuck Carr297.000$230kFREE AGENT
Ramon Garcia286.000$160kFREE AGENT
Tony Peña Sr.4017.000$96kFREE AGENT
Tommy Greene308.000—FREE AGENT
Luis Rivera3311.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (12)

PlayerAgeSvc1997199819992000200120022003
Shane Reynolds295.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Mike Hampton244.000$1.4MARB 3FREE AGENT
Brad Ausmus284.000$1.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Pat Listach295.000$750kFREE AGENT
Ricky Gutierrez274.000$420kARB 3FREE AGENT
James Mouton283.000$415kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Hudek303.000$412kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Russ Springer285.000$400kFREE AGENT
Tim Bogar304.000$275kARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Lima243.000$170kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Blas Minor315.000—FREE AGENT
J.R. Phillips274.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (12)

PlayerAgeSvc1997199819992000200120022003
Billy Wagner252.000$185kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ray Montgomery271.000$155kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bobby Abreu231.000$150kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Richard Hidalgo220.000$150kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Holt251.000$150kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tom Martin270.000$150kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Manuel Barrios22–—
Jose Cabrera250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Oscar Henriquez230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Russ Johnson240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ken Ramos30–—
Donne Wall292.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1997 acquisition stacked onto Astros'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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