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Royals KCR

199182–80 (0.506)
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GM: Herk Robinson

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1991, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$27M
Surplus $M
-9
Win %
0.506
TAB
-2.2
WAB
-2.2
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
34.2
Dead money %
34%
Depth Players
6.0
Dead WAR
-1.8

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1991 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

LBrent Mayne80
RMike Macfarlane69
RTim Spehr37
RJorge Pedre9

1B

BTodd Benzinger⇄96
RCarmelo Martinez⇄43
LWarren Cromartie29
LJim Eisenreich15
LGeorge Brett10
RBill Pecota8
RRuss Morman8
RJorge Pedre1

2B

RTerry Shumpert144
RBill Pecota34
BDavid Howard26
BNelson Liriano10
RStu Cole5

3B

RBill Pecota102
RKevin Seitzer68
RSean Berry30
LGeorge Brett3
RPaul Zuvella2
BDavid Howard1

SS

BKurt Stillwell118
BDavid Howard63
RBill Pecota9
RStu Cole1

LF

LKirk Gibson91
LJim Eisenreich59
RGary Thurman39
RHarvey Pulliam11
RBobby Moore9
LWarren Cromartie5
RRuss Morman2
RBill Pecota1
LTerry Puhl1

CF

BBrian McRae150
LJim Eisenreich14
RGary Thurman9
RBobby Moore5

RF

RDanny Tartabull124
LJim Eisenreich42
RGary Thurman29
RHarvey Pulliam5
LKirk Gibson3
LDave Clark1
BDavid Howard1
LWarren Cromartie1

DH

LGeorge Brett118
LKirk Gibson29
RDanny Tartabull6
RMike Macfarlane4
LTerry Puhl2
RCarmelo Martinez⇄1
LJim Eisenreich1
BTodd Benzinger⇄1

Starters

RKevin Appier4.7 WAR
RBret Saberhagen4.4 WAR
RMark Gubicza2.1 WAR
RLuis Aquino2.0 WAR
RMike Boddicker1.7 WAR
RTom Gordon1.6 WAR
RStorm Davis0.1 WAR
LMark Davis-0.0 WAR
RHector Wagner-0.0 WAR

Bullpen

★ RJeff Montgomery33 sv
LMike Magnante0 h
RSteve Crawford0 h
RJoel Johnston0 h
LDan Schatzeder0 h
RCarlos Maldonado0 h
RAndy McGaffigan0 h
RWes Gardner⇄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 1990)

PlayerfWAR
Mike Boddicker1.7
Kirk Gibson0.8
Tim Spehr0.7
Todd Benzinger0.7
Warren Cromartie0.6
Mike Magnante0.5

Key subtractions (gone from 1990)

Player1990 fWAR
Bo Jackson3.1
Steve Farr1.6
Willie Wilson1.0
Daryl Smith0.2
Rey Palacios0.1
Jim Campbell0.1

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 1991; everyone else is shown as a 1991 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Kevin Appier 1991 +4.7 +82.9 0.2 +82.7 $0.0M 2.19× –
Bret Saberhagen 1991 +4.4 +76.2 3.0 +73.3 $0.7M 2.19× –
Danny Tartabull 1991 +4.5 +63.9 2.2 +61.7 $0.5M 1.79× –
Jeff Montgomery 1991 +1.6 +25.1 1.1 +24.0 $0.7M 1.95× –
Mark Gubicza 1991 +2.1 +25.1 2.2 +23.0 $1.0M 1.49× –
Bill Pecota 1991 +2.5 +22.6 0.3 +22.3 $0.1M 1.12× –
Mike Macfarlane 1991 +2.7 +21.6 0.3 +21.3 $0.1M 1.00× –
Mike Boddicker 1991 +1.7 +20.4 3.2 +17.2 $1.8M 1.49× –
Luis Aquino 1991 +2.0 +15.3 0.2 +15.2 $0.1M 0.98× –
Tom Gordon 1991 +1.6 +12.8 0.3 +12.5 $0.2M 0.98× –
Kirk Gibson 1991 +0.8 +5.2 1.7 +3.5 $2.2M 0.83× –
Todd Benzinger↔ 1991 +0.7 +2.9 0.4 +2.5 $0.6M 0.56× –
Carmelo Martinez↔ 1991 +0.4 +2.2 0.4 +1.8 $1.0M 0.69× –
Kevin Seitzer 1991 +0.7 +3.3 1.6 +1.7 $2.3M 0.58× –
Kurt Stillwell 1991 +0.5 +2.7 1.3 +1.4 $2.4M 0.61× –
Brian McRae 1991 +0.1 +1.0 0.1 +0.9 $0.8M 0.83× –
Wes Gardner↔ 1991 +0.1 +0.3 0.1 +0.2 $1.7M 0.67× –
Russ Morman 1991 -0.1 -0.6 0.1 -0.7 – 0.56× –
Dan Schatzeder 1991 -0.1 -0.3 0.7 -1.0 – 0.67× –
Terry Shumpert 1991 -0.3 -1.2 0.1 -1.3 – 0.56× –
George Brett 1991 +0.3 +1.5 3.1 -1.6 $11.4M 0.69× –
David Howard 1991 -0.3 -1.6 0.1 -1.7 – 0.61× –
Jim Eisenreich 1991 -0.2 -1.3 0.9 -2.3 – 0.83× –
Mark Davis 1991 -0.0 -0.2 3.6 -3.9 – 0.67× –
Andy McGaffigan 1991 +0.1 +0.3 – – – 0.67× –
Archie Corbin 1991 -0.0 -0.0 – – – 0.67× –
Bobby Moore 1991 -0.0 -0.1 – – – 0.83× –
Brent Mayne 1991 +0.6 +2.4 – – – 0.52× –
Carlos Maldonado 1991 -0.1 -0.6 – – – 0.67× –
Dave Clark 1991 -0.1 -0.4 – – – 0.83× –
Gary Thurman 1991 +0.6 +4.1 – – – 0.83× –
Harvey Pulliam 1991 +0.2 +1.1 – – – 0.83× –
Hector Wagner 1991 -0.0 -0.3 – – – 1.02× –
Joel Johnston 1991 +0.5 +2.6 – – – 0.67× –
Jorge Pedre 1991 +0.2 +0.6 – – – 0.52× –
Mike Magnante 1991 +0.5 +2.7 – – – 0.67× –
Nelson Liriano 1991 +0.2 +1.0 – – – 0.56× –
Sean Berry 1991 -0.4 -1.7 – – – 0.58× –
Steve Crawford 1991 +0.4 +2.2 – – – 0.67× –
Storm Davis 1991 +0.1 +0.3 – – – 0.67× –
Stu Cole 1991 -0.0 -0.2 – – – 0.56× –
Terry Puhl 1991 -0.1 -0.4 – – – 0.69× –
Tim Spehr 1991 +0.7 +2.9 – – – 0.52× –
Warren Cromartie 1991 +0.6 +2.5 – – – 0.56× –
Total—+34.4+398.827.2+352.7—

Trades

Every graded 1991 deal involving the Royals — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 7 total.

1991 · KCR / LAD
KCR · Herk Robinson +$4.0M
Chris Gwynn, Domingo Mota
LAD · Fred Claire −$4.0M
Todd Benzinger
KCR came out ahead by $4.0M
1991 · KCR / BAL
KCR · Herk Robinson +$7.2M
Bob Melvin
BAL · Roland Hemond −$7.2M
Storm Davis
KCR came out ahead by $7.2M
1991 · KCR / CIN
KCR · Herk Robinson +$1.6M
Todd Benzinger
CIN · Bob Quinn −$1.6M
Carmelo Martínez
KCR came out ahead by $1.6M
1991 · DET / KCR
DET · Joe McDonald +$0.8M
Andy Allanson
KCR · Herk Robinson −$0.8M
Jim Baxter
DET came out ahead by $0.8M
1991 · KCR / ATL
KCR · Herk Robinson +$0.8M
Rico Rossy
ATL · John Schuerholz −$0.8M
Bobby Moore
KCR came out ahead by $0.8M
1991 · PIT / KCR
PIT · Larry Doughty +$4.0M
Victor Cole
KCR · Herk Robinson −$4.0M
Carmelo Martínez
PIT came out ahead by $4.0M
1991 · NYM / KCR
NYM · Frank Cashen +$137.6M
Bret Saberhagen, Bill Pecota
KCR · Herk Robinson −$137.6M
Kevin McReynolds, Gregg Jefferies, Keith Miller
NYM came out ahead by $137.6M

Current & Historical Payroll

1991 payroll
$27.2M

What the front office was committed to as of 1991, 1991–1997. 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 (15)

PlayerAgeSvc1991199219931994199519961997
Mark Davis3011.000$3.6M$1.9MFREE AGENT
Mike Boddicker3311.000$3.2M$3.1MFREE AGENT
George Brett3818.000$3.1M$3.1M$2.8MFREE AGENT
Bret Saberhagen277.000$3.0MFREE AGENT
Danny Tartabull287.000$2.2MFREE AGENT
Mark Gubicza287.000$2.2M$3.0M$1.2M$610k$750k$1.6MFREE AGENT
Kirk Gibson3412.000$1.7MFREE AGENT
Jim Eisenreich329.000$950k$1.6MFREE AGENT
Dan Schatzeder3614.000$700kFREE AGENT
Carmelo Martinez308.000$377kFREE AGENT
Wes Gardner307.000$101kFREE AGENT
Steve Crawford3311.000—FREE AGENT
Storm Davis299.000—FREE AGENT
Andy McGaffigan3410.000—FREE AGENT
Terry Puhl3414.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (12)

PlayerAgeSvc1991199219931994199519961997
Kevin Seitzer295.000$1.6MFREE AGENT
Kurt Stillwell265.000$1.3MFREE AGENT
Jeff Montgomery294.000$1.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Todd Benzinger284.000$426kARB 3FREE AGENT
Tom Gordon233.000$325kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill Pecota315.000$308kFREE AGENT
Mike Macfarlane274.000$280kARB 3FREE AGENT
Luis Aquino275.000$160kFREE AGENT
Russ Morman295.000$115kFREE AGENT
Dave Clark285.000—FREE AGENT
Nelson Liriano274.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gary Thurman264.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (17)

PlayerAgeSvc1991199219931994199519961997
Kevin Appier232.000$215kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian McRae231.000$124kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Terry Shumpert241.000$110kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
David Howard240.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sean Berry251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Stu Cole25–—
Archie Corbin230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Warren Cromartie37–—
Joel Johnston240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Magnante260.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Maldonado241.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brent Mayne231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bobby Moore25–—
Jorge Pedre24–—
Harvey Pulliam230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tim Spehr240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Hector Wagner22–—

Graphs

How each 1991 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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