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Astros HOU

199997–65 (0.599)Made Playoffs
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GM: Gerry Hunsicker

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
$50M
Surplus $M
+19
Win %
0.599
TAB
+19.5
WAB
+14.6
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
54.1
Dead money %
21%
Depth Players
9.0
Dead WAR
-3.9

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1999 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RTony Eusebio98
LPaul Bako71
RRandy Knorr11
BMitch Meluskey10

1B

RJeff Bagwell161
LDaryle Ward10
LJack Howell5
LBill Spiers1
BLance Berkman1

2B

RCraig Biggio155
RRuss Johnson15
RCarlos Hernandez7
LBill Spiers4
RTim Bogar1

3B

BKen Caminiti75
LBill Spiers71
RRuss Johnson36
RTim Bogar12
LJack Howell3
RRicky Gutierrez1

SS

RTim Bogar90
RRicky Gutierrez80
LBill Spiers13
RCarlos Hernandez2
RRuss Johnson2

LF

RRichard Hidalgo97
RMatt Mieske⇄36
LDaryle Ward31
LBill Spiers25
BLance Berkman22
BStan Javier⇄10
BAlex Diaz7
RCraig Biggio6
BGlen Barker3
RRyan Thompson2
BCarl Everett1

CF

BCarl Everett118
BGlen Barker47
RRichard Hidalgo30
LBill Spiers7
RRyan Thompson5
BStan Javier⇄2

RF

RDerek Bell126
RMatt Mieske⇄20
BCarl Everett16
LBill Spiers9
BStan Javier⇄9
BGlen Barker8
BLance Berkman7
RRichard Hidalgo3
RRyan Thompson3
BAlex Diaz1

DH

LDaryle Ward3
RCraig Biggio2
LJack Howell2
RJeff Bagwell2

Starters

LMike Hampton6.2 WAR
RShane Reynolds6.1 WAR
RJose Lima4.2 WAR
RScott Elarton3.0 WAR
RChris Holt2.6 WAR
RSean Bergman⇄1.1 WAR
RWade Miller-0.3 WAR

Bullpen

★ LBilly Wagner39 sv
RJay Powell16 h
RJose Cabrera6 h
LTrever Miller3 h
RBrian Williams2 h
RDoug Henry2 h
RWade Miller0 h
RJeff McCurry0 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
Chris Holt2.6
Ken Caminiti1.6
Glen Barker0.9
Paul Bako0.9
Stan Javier0.6
Brian Williams0.3

Key subtractions (gone from 1998)

Player1998 fWAR
Moises Alou6.8
Randy Johnson3.1
Sean Berry2.7
Brad Ausmus2.2
John Halama0.7
Pete Schourek0.4

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

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Mike Hampton 1999 +6.2 +125.0 4.1 +120.9 $0.7M 2.50× –
Shane Reynolds 1999 +6.1 +122.3 4.5 +117.8 $0.7M 2.50× –
Carl Everett 1999 +5.9 +96.4 2.5 +93.9 $0.4M 2.05× –
Billy Wagner 1999 +3.6 +82.6 2.2 +80.3 $0.6M 2.88× –
Jeff Bagwell 1999 +7.8 +85.7 6.5 +79.2 $0.8M 1.37× –
Jose Lima 1999 +4.2 +73.1 2.2 +70.9 $0.5M 2.19× –
Craig Biggio 1999 +4.9 +47.5 6.1 +41.5 $1.2M 1.20× –
Chris Holt 1999 +2.6 +40.1 0.3 +39.9 $0.1M 1.96× –
Scott Elarton 1999 +3.0 +31.0 0.2 +30.7 $0.1M 1.28× –
Jay Powell 1999 +1.2 +12.7 0.8 +11.9 $0.7M 1.34× –
Bill Spiers 1999 +1.6 +11.1 1.6 +9.5 $1.0M 0.85× –
Richard Hidalgo 1999 +1.3 +8.9 0.3 +8.6 $0.2M 0.83× –
Sean Bergman↔ 1999 +1.1 +9.0 1.4 +7.6 $1.3M 1.02× –
Ken Caminiti 1999 +1.6 +11.0 4.5 +6.5 $2.8M 0.85× –
Glen Barker 1999 +0.9 +5.8 0.2 +5.6 $0.2M 0.83× –
Tony Eusebio 1999 +1.4 +5.7 0.9 +4.8 $0.7M 0.52× –
Russ Johnson 1999 +0.9 +4.2 0.2 +4.0 $0.2M 0.58× –
Stan Javier↔ 1999 +0.6 +4.0 0.3 +3.7 $0.4M 0.83× –
Paul Bako 1999 +0.9 +3.6 0.2 +3.3 $0.3M 0.52× –
Tim Bogar 1999 +0.6 +3.1 0.7 +2.4 $1.1M 0.61× –
Jose Cabrera 1999 +0.4 +2.3 0.2 +2.1 $0.5M 0.67× –
Lance Berkman 1999 +0.3 +1.9 0.2 +1.7 $0.7M 0.83× –
Brian Williams 1999 +0.3 +1.7 0.4 +1.3 $1.2M 0.67× –
Matt Mieske↔ 1999 +0.2 +1.4 0.3 +1.1 $1.6M 0.83× –
Jack Howell 1999 +0.3 +1.3 0.6 +0.8 $1.9M 0.56× –
Mitch Meluskey 1999 -0.1 -0.3 0.2 -0.5 – 0.52× –
Carlos Hernandez 1999 -0.2 -0.8 0.2 -1.0 – 0.56× –
Ryan Thompson 1999 -0.1 -0.8 0.3 -1.1 – 0.83× –
Daryle Ward 1999 -0.2 -1.3 0.2 -1.5 – 0.83× –
Alex Diaz 1999 -0.3 -2.3 0.3 -2.5 – 0.83× –
Trever Miller 1999 -0.5 -2.7 0.2 -2.9 – 0.67× –
Ricky Gutierrez 1999 -0.2 -0.8 2.2 -3.0 – 0.61× –
Doug Henry 1999 -0.6 -3.3 0.7 -4.0 – 0.67× –
Derek Bell 1999 -0.9 -6.1 4.5 -10.6 – 0.83× –
Jeff McCurry 1999 -0.1 -0.4 – – – 0.67× –
Joe Slusarski 1999 +0.0 +0.1 – – – 0.67× –
Randy Knorr 1999 -0.5 -1.9 – – – 0.52× –
Wade Miller 1999 -0.3 -1.5 – – – 0.67× –
Total—+53.9+769.350.2+722.9—

Trades

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

1999 · SFG / HOU
SFG · Brian Sabean +$1.6M
Joe Messman
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker −$1.6M
Stan Javier
SFG came out ahead by $1.6M
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 · HOU / MIN
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker +$0.0M
George Williams
MIN · Terry Ryan +$0.0M
Josh Dimmick
Even trade
1999 · HOU / SEA
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker +$2.4M
Matt Mieske
SEA · Woody Woodward −$2.4M
Kevin Hodges
HOU came out ahead by $2.4M
1999 · BOS / HOU
BOS · Dan Duquette +$18.4M
Carl Everett
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker −$18.4M
Adam Everett, Greg Miller
BOS came out ahead by $18.4M
1999 · HOU / NYM
HOU · Gerry Hunsicker +$7.2M
Roger Cedeño, Octavio Dotel, Kyle Kessel
NYM · Steve Phillips −$7.2M
Derek Bell, Mike Hampton
HOU came out ahead by $7.2M

Current & Historical Payroll

1999 payroll
$50.3M

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 (21)

PlayerAgeSvc1999200020012002200320042005
Jeff Bagwell318.000$6.5M$6.5M$6.5M$11.0M$13.0M$16.0M$18.0M
Craig Biggio3311.000$6.1M$6.8M$7.8M$8.8M$9.8M$3.0M$3.0M
Derek Bell308.000$4.5MFREE AGENT
Ken Caminiti3612.000$4.5M$4.5MFREE AGENT
Shane Reynolds317.000$4.5M$6.7M$7.2M$7.7MFREE AGENT
Mike Hampton266.000$4.1MFREE AGENT
Carl Everett286.000$2.5MFREE AGENT
Ricky Gutierrez296.000$2.2MFREE AGENT
Bill Spiers3310.000$1.6M$1.7M$1.7MFREE AGENT
Sean Bergman296.000$1.4MFREE AGENT
Tony Eusebio328.000$900k$1.1M$1.3MFREE AGENT
Doug Henry358.000$725k$500kFREE AGENT
Tim Bogar326.000$700k$700kFREE AGENT
Jack Howell3714.000$550kFREE AGENT
Brian Williams308.000$375kFREE AGENT
Matt Mieske316.000$346k$595kFREE AGENT
Alex Diaz307.000$275kFREE AGENT
Ryan Thompson317.000$275kFREE AGENT
Stan Javier3515.000$265kFREE AGENT
Randy Knorr308.000—FREE AGENT
Joe Slusarski328.000—FREE AGENT$240k

Arbitration-eligible (6)

PlayerAgeSvc1999200020012002200320042005
Jose Lima265.000$2.2MFREE AGENT
Billy Wagner274.000$2.2MARB 3FREE AGENT
Jay Powell274.000$800kARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Holt273.000$279kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Trever Miller263.000$248kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff McCurry294.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (11)

PlayerAgeSvc1999200020012002200320042005
Richard Hidalgo242.000$260kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Paul Bako271.000$230kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Elarton231.000$230kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Cabrera272.000$215kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Russ Johnson262.000$205kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Daryle Ward241.000$200kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mitch Meluskey251.000$200kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Glen Barker280.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Hernandez230.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lance Berkman230.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Wade Miller220.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1999 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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