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Royals KCR

198783–79 (0.512)
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GM: John Schuerholz

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1987, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$12M
Surplus $M
-2
Win %
0.512
TAB
-0.1
WAB
-0.3
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
35.4
Dead money %
25%
Depth Players
8.0
Dead WAR
-4.2

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1987 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

LJamie Quirk108
RLarry Owen76
RMike Macfarlane8
REd Hearn5
BScotti Madison3

1B

LGeorge Brett83
RSteve Balboni55
RKevin Seitzer24
BScotti Madison4

2B

RFrank White152
RBill Pecota15
LJorge Orta10
RRoss Jones3

3B

RKevin Seitzer141
RBill Pecota17
LGeorge Brett11
RJuan Beníquez⇄6

SS

RAngel Salazar116
BBuddy Biancalana⇄37
RBill Pecota36
RRoss Jones36
LJamie Quirk1

LF

RBo Jackson95
RLonnie Smith32
RGary Thurman22
LThad Bosley13
RKevin Seitzer3

CF

BWillie Wilson143
RBo Jackson21
RGary Thurman6
RJuan Beníquez⇄2
LThad Bosley1

RF

RDanny Tartabull149
LThad Bosley14
RBo Jackson3

DH

RSteve Balboni50
LJim Eisenreich25
LGeorge Brett21
RLonnie Smith14
LThad Bosley12
LJorge Orta11
RDanny Tartabull6
RHal McRae6
BWillie Wilson2
RBo Jackson1
RFrank White1
RKevin Seitzer1

Starters

RBret Saberhagen5.2 WAR
LCharlie Leibrandt4.4 WAR
LDanny Jackson4.3 WAR
RMark Gubicza3.8 WAR
LBud Black1.1 WAR
RBob Stoddard0.1 WAR
RMelido Perez-0.0 WAR
RRick Anderson-0.2 WAR

Bullpen

★ RGene Garber⇄18 sv
LJerry Don Gleaton0 h
RSteve Farr0 h
RDan Quisenberry0 h
RJohn Davis0 h
RBob Stoddard0 h
RDave Gumpert0 h
RRick Anderson0 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 1986)

PlayerfWAR
Danny Tartabull2.9
Larry Owen0.6
Jerry Don Gleaton0.6
John Davis0.6
Gary Thurman0.3
Ed Hearn0.2

Key subtractions (gone from 1986)

Player1986 fWAR
Dennis Leonard2.6
Scott Bankhead1.8
Jim Sundberg1.5
Mark Huismann0.3
David Cone0.1
Rudy Law0.0

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Royals. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 1987; everyone else is shown as a 1987 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Bret Saberhagen 1987 +5.2 +103.3 0.7 +102.6 $0.1M 2.50× –
Charlie Leibrandt 1987 +4.4 +77.5 0.8 +76.7 $0.2M 2.19× –
Danny Jackson 1987 +4.3 +76.1 0.2 +75.9 $0.1M 2.19× –
Mark Gubicza 1987 +3.8 +66.5 0.5 +66.0 $0.1M 2.19× –
Kevin Seitzer 1987 +5.1 +58.0 0.1 +58.0 $0.0M 1.43× –
Danny Tartabull 1987 +2.9 +36.7 0.1 +36.6 $0.1M 1.60× –
George Brett 1987 +3.2 +27.3 2.1 +25.3 $0.6M 1.07× –
Frank White 1987 +2.6 +22.5 0.9 +21.6 $0.3M 1.07× –
Willie Wilson 1987 +1.7 +16.5 1.4 +15.1 $0.8M 1.22× –
Bud Black 1987 +1.1 +8.6 0.6 +8.0 $0.6M 1.02× –
Jerry Don Gleaton 1987 +0.6 +5.9 0.1 +5.8 $0.2M 1.34× –
Dan Quisenberry 1987 +0.6 +6.2 1.3 +5.0 $2.2M 1.34× –
Bill Pecota 1987 +0.9 +4.5 0.1 +4.4 $0.1M 0.61× –
John Davis 1987 +0.6 +2.9 0.1 +2.9 $0.1M 0.67× –
Larry Owen 1987 +0.6 +2.3 0.1 +2.2 $0.2M 0.52× –
Gary Thurman 1987 +0.3 +2.2 0.1 +2.1 $0.2M 0.83× –
Gene Garber↔ 1987 +0.2 +1.9 0.2 +1.7 $0.9M 1.34× –
Hal McRae 1987 +0.2 +1.2 0.1 +1.1 $0.5M 0.69× –
Jamie Quirk 1987 +0.3 +1.2 0.2 +1.0 $0.7M 0.52× –
Ed Hearn 1987 +0.2 +0.8 0.1 +0.7 $0.4M 0.52× –
Bob Stoddard 1987 +0.1 +0.3 0.1 +0.3 $1.1M 0.67× –
Ross Jones 1987 +0.1 +0.4 0.1 +0.3 $0.8M 0.61× –
Bo Jackson 1987 +0.0 +0.1 0.3 -0.3 $39.5M 0.83× –
Jim Eisenreich 1987 -0.1 -0.8 0.1 -0.9 – 0.69× –
Thad Bosley 1987 -0.2 -1.0 0.5 -1.5 – 0.83× –
Jorge Orta 1987 -0.3 -1.6 0.1 -1.7 – 0.69× –
Bob Shirley↔ 1987 -0.4 -1.9 0.1 -2.0 – 0.67× –
Lonnie Smith 1987 -0.2 -1.5 0.5 -2.0 – 0.83× –
Angel Salazar 1987 -0.5 -2.6 0.1 -2.7 – 0.61× –
Steve Balboni 1987 -0.7 -3.0 0.6 -3.6 – 0.56× –
Buddy Biancalana↔ 1987 -0.4 -1.8 – – – 0.61× –
Dave Gumpert 1987 +0.0 +0.0 – – – 0.67× –
Juan Beniquez↔ 1987 -1.2 -5.6 – – – 0.58× –
Melido Perez 1987 -0.0 -0.3 – – – 1.02× –
Mike Macfarlane 1987 -0.0 -0.1 – – – 0.52× –
Rick Anderson 1987 -0.2 -1.0 – – – 0.67× –
Scotti Madison 1987 +0.1 +0.3 – – – 0.56× –
Steve Farr 1987 +0.8 +4.3 – – – 0.67× –
Total—+35.7+506.312.3+498.6—

Trades

Every graded 1987 deal involving the Royals — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 10 total.

1987 · CHW / KCR
CHW · Larry Himes +$140.0M
John Davis, Melido Perez, Chuck Mount, Greg Hibbard
KCR · John Schuerholz −$140.0M
Floyd Bannister, Dave Cochrane
CHW came out ahead by $140.0M
1987 · KCR / CHC
KCR · John Schuerholz +$4.0M
Thad Bosley, Dave Gumpert
CHC · Dallas Green −$4.0M
Jim Sundberg
KCR came out ahead by $4.0M
1987 · KCR / HOU
KCR · John Schuerholz +$3.2M
Mel Stottlemyre
HOU · Bill Wood −$3.2M
Buddy Biancalana
KCR came out ahead by $3.2M
1987 · NYM / KCR
NYM · Frank Cashen +$238.4M
David Cone, Chris Jelic
KCR · John Schuerholz −$238.4M
Ed Hearn, Rick Anderson, Mauro Gozzo
NYM came out ahead by $238.4M
1987 · ATL / KCR
ATL · Bobby Cox +$17.6M
Terry Bell
KCR · John Schuerholz −$17.6M
Gene Garber
ATL came out ahead by $17.6M
1987 · TEX / KCR
TEX · Tom Grieve +$1.6M
Rufus Ellis
KCR · John Schuerholz −$1.6M
Dave Owen
TEX came out ahead by $1.6M
1987 · CIN / KCR
CIN · Bill Bergesch +$0.0M
Eddie Tanner, Pete Carey
KCR · John Schuerholz +$0.0M
Derek Botelho
Even trade
1987 · KCR / TOR
KCR · John Schuerholz +$20.0M
Luis Aquino
TOR · Pat Gillick −$20.0M
Juan Beníquez
KCR came out ahead by $20.0M
1987 · SEA / KCR
SEA · Dick Balderson +$0.8M
Ricky Rojas
KCR · John Schuerholz −$0.8M
Ross Jones
SEA came out ahead by $0.8M
1987 · CIN / KCR
CIN · Bill Bergesch +$92.0M
Danny Jackson, Angel Salazar
KCR · John Schuerholz −$92.0M
Ted Power, Kurt Stillwell
CIN came out ahead by $92.0M

Current & Historical Payroll

1987 payroll
$12.0M

What the front office was committed to as of 1987, 1987–1993. 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 (18)

PlayerAgeSvc1987198819891990199119921993
George Brett3414.000$2.1M$2.3M$2.0M$2.3M$3.1M$3.1M$2.8M
Willie Wilson3111.000$1.4M$1.4M$2.1M$800kFREE AGENT
Dan Quisenberry348.000$1.3M$973kFREE AGENT
Frank White3614.000$875k$825k$1.0M$1.1MFREE AGENT
Charlie Leibrandt308.000$850k$1.2M$1.2MFREE AGENT
Steve Balboni306.000$625k$288kFREE AGENT
Bud Black306.000$600k$327kFREE AGENT
Lonnie Smith319.000$500kFREE AGENT
Thad Bosley3010.000$458k$280kFREE AGENT
Jamie Quirk3212.000$200k$335kFREE AGENT
Gene Garber3918.000$165k$500kFREE AGENT
Jorge Orta3615.000$125kFREE AGENT
Hal McRae4119.000$110kFREE AGENT
Larry Owen326.000$100k$110kFREE AGENT
Jerry Don Gleaton298.000$95k$120kFREE AGENT
Bob Stoddard306.000$65kFREE AGENT
Bob Shirley3310.000$50kFREE AGENT
Juan Beniquez3716.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (10)

PlayerAgeSvc1987198819891990199119921993
Bret Saberhagen233.000$740kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Gubicza243.000$450kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Danny Jackson254.000$225kARB 3FREE AGENT
Danny Tartabull243.000$145kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Angel Salazar254.000$100kARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Eisenreich285.000$72kFREE AGENT
Ross Jones273.000$65kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Buddy Biancalana275.000—FREE AGENT
Steve Farr303.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Gumpert295.000—FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (10)

PlayerAgeSvc1987198819891990199119921993
Bo Jackson241.000$330kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ed Hearn261.000$76kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Davis240.000$62kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill Pecota271.000$62kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Seitzer251.000$62kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gary Thurman220.000$62kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick Anderson30–—
Mike Macfarlane230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scotti Madison272.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Melido Perez210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1987 acquisition stacked onto Royals'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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