RRosternomics
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Royals KCR

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GM: Herk Robinson

Overview

REBUILD → steady
cheap & losing · year 1 in this regime · payroll 0.91× league · TAB -4.9
-4.9TAB — talent above budget18th/28
-1.8WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)18th/28
6.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars13th/28
-5.7dead WAR — sub-replacement drag19th/28
20%dead money %9th/28
0.486win %14th/28
25.1roster fWAR20th/28
-5surplus $M (value vs cost)16th/28
$30Mpayroll $M21st/28

Roster

CFTom Goodwin 95GJohnny Damon 44GDavid Howard 16G
LFTom Goodwin 37GMichael Tucker 30GJon Nunnally 16G
RFJon Nunnally 92GPhil Hiatt 45GVince Coleman 13G
SSGreg Gagne 118GDavid Howard 33GEdgar Caceres 8G
2BKeith Lockhart 61GDavid Howard 41GEdgar Caceres 36G
3BGary Gaetti 123GJoe Randa 22GKeith Lockhart 17G
1BWally Joyner 126GJuan Samuel 38GGary Gaetti 11G
STARTERSKevin Appier 5.3WARTom Gordon 3.5WARMark Gubicza 3.0WARChris Haney 1.0WARJason Jacome 0.6WAR
CBrent Mayne 103GHenry Mercedes 22GMike Sweeney 4G
DHBob Hamelin 50GJoe Vitiello 31GMichael Tucker 18G
BULLPEN★ Jeff Montgomery 31svRusty Meacham 0hBilly Brewer 0hHipolito Pichardo 0hMike Magnante 0hDilson Torres 0hGregg Olson 0hJim Converse 0h
CBrent Mayne 103 · Henry Mercedes 22 · Mike Sweeney 4
1BWally Joyner 126 · Juan Samuel 38 · Gary Gaetti 11
2BKeith Lockhart 61 · David Howard 41 · Edgar Caceres 36
3BGary Gaetti 123 · Joe Randa 22 · Keith Lockhart 17
SSGreg Gagne 118 · David Howard 33 · Edgar Caceres 8
LFTom Goodwin 37 · Michael Tucker 30 · Jon Nunnally 16
CFTom Goodwin 95 · Johnny Damon 44 · David Howard 16
RFJon Nunnally 92 · Phil Hiatt 45 · Vince Coleman 13
DHBob Hamelin 50 · Joe Vitiello 31 · Michael Tucker 18
SPKevin Appier 5.3 · Tom Gordon 3.5 · Mark Gubicza 3.0 · Chris Haney 1.0 · Jason Jacome 0.6
BP★ Jeff Montgomery 31 · Rusty Meacham 0 · Billy Brewer 0 · Hipolito Pichardo 0 · Mike Magnante 0 · Dilson Torres 0 · Gregg Olson 0 · Jim Converse 0

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.

1995 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Kevin Appier 27 FA-elig 315.3 4.4 +0.7
Tom Gordon 27 FA-elig 323.5 3.3 +0.1
Gary Gaetti 36 FA-elig 1373.3 1.1 +2.1
Mark Gubicza 32 FA-elig 333.0 0.8 +2.1
Jon Nunnally 23 pre-arb 1192.3 0.1 +2.1
Wally Joyner 33 FA-elig 1312.0 4.8 -2.9
Greg Gagne 33 FA-elig 1201.7 4.4 -2.7
Tom Goodwin 26 arb 1331.4 0.1 +1.2
Keith Lockhart 30 pre-arb 941.3 0.1 +1.1
Johnny Damon 21 pre-arb 471.2 0.1 +1.0
Chris Haney 26 arb 161.0 0.2 +0.7
David Howard 28 arb 950.9 0.4 +0.5
Jeff Montgomery 33 FA-elig 540.8 4.2 -3.4
Jason Jacome↔ NYM 24 pre-arb 150.6 0.1 +0.5
Hipolito Pichardo 25 arb 440.6 0.4 +0.2
Rusty Meacham 27 arb 490.3 0.5 -0.1
Chris James↔ BOS 32 FA-elig 260.3 0.2 +0.1
Henry Mercedes 25 arb 230.3 0.1 +0.1
Brent Mayne 27 arb 1100.2 0.7 -0.5
Jeff Grotewold 29 arb 150.2 0.1 +0.0
Gregg Olson↔ CLE 28 FA-elig 200.1 0.7 -0.5
Scott Anderson 32 – 60.1 – –
Les Norman 26 pre-arb 240.1 0.1 -0.0
Jim Converse↔ SEA 23 pre-arb 90.1 0.1 +0.0
Dilson Torres 25 pre-arb 240.1 0.1 -0.0
Rick Huisman 26 pre-arb 70.1 0.1 -0.0
Mike Magnante 30 arb 280.1 0.2 -0.2
Jose Mota 30 arb 20.1 0.1 -0.1
Pat Borders↔ HOU 32 FA-elig 520.0 0.3 -0.2
Edgar Caceres 31 pre-arb 550.0 0.1 -0.1
Dave Fleming↔ SEA 25 arb 9-0.0 0.3 -0.3
Mike Sweeney 21 pre-arb 4-0.0 0.1 -0.1
Joe Vitiello 25 pre-arb 53-0.0 0.1 -0.1
Tom Browning 35 FA-elig 2-0.1 0.3 -0.4
Doug Linton 30 arb 7-0.1 0.2 -0.2
Phil Hiatt 26 pre-arb 52-0.1 0.1 -0.2
Vince Coleman↔ SEA 33 FA-elig 75-0.1 0.2 -0.2
Keith Miller 32 – 9-0.1 – –
Russ McGinnis 32 – 3-0.1 – –
Juan Samuel↔ DET 34 FA-elig 15-0.2 0.1 -0.2
Chris Stynes 22 pre-arb 22-0.2 0.1 -0.3
Dennis Rasmussen 36 FA-elig 5-0.2 0.2 -0.4
Jim Pittsley 21 pre-arb 1-0.3 0.1 -0.4
Felix Jose 30 – 9-0.4 – –
Michael Tucker 24 pre-arb 62-0.4 0.1 -0.5
Billy Brewer 27 pre-arb 48-0.4 0.2 -0.6
Melvin Bunch 23 – 13-0.4 – –
Brent Cookson 25 pre-arb 22-0.4 0.1 -0.5
Jose Lind↔ ANA 31 – 29-0.5 – –
Joe Randa 25 pre-arb 34-0.5 0.1 -0.6
Bob Hamelin 27 pre-arb 72-1.3 0.4 -1.7

Key additions (new vs 1994)

PlayerfWAR
Jon Nunnally2.3
Keith Lockhart1.3
Johnny Damon1.2
Jason Jacome0.6
Chris James0.3
Henry Mercedes0.3

Key subtractions (gone from 1994)

Player1994 fWAR
David Cone3.8
Mike Macfarlane1.5
Brian McRae0.7
Bob Milacki0.5
Jose De Jesus0.3
Terry Shumpert-0.0

Current & Historical Payroll

1995 payroll
$30.4M

What the front office was committed to as of 1995, 1995–2001. 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)

PlayerAgeSvc1995199619971998199920002001
Wally Joyner339.000$4.8MFREE AGENT
Kevin Appier276.000$4.4M$5.1M$4.8M$4.8M$3.1MFREE AGENT
Greg Gagne3312.000$4.4MFREE AGENT
Jeff Montgomery338.000$4.2M$2.1M$2.3M$2.8M$2.5MFREE AGENT
Tom Gordon277.000$3.3MFREE AGENT
Gary Gaetti3614.000$1.1MFREE AGENT
Mark Gubicza3211.000$750k$1.6MFREE AGENT
Gregg Olson287.000$652kFREE AGENT$302k
Tom Browning3511.000$300kFREE AGENT
Pat Borders327.000$256kFREE AGENT
Chris James329.000$192kFREE AGENT
Dennis Rasmussen3612.000$185kFREE AGENT
Vince Coleman3310.000$163kFREE AGENT
Juan Samuel3412.000$62kFREE AGENT
Felix Jose307.000—FREE AGENT
Jose Lind318.000—FREE AGENT
Keith Miller328.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (12)

PlayerAgeSvc1995199619971998199920002001
Brent Mayne275.000$675kFREE AGENT
Rusty Meacham274.000$465kARB 3FREE AGENT
David Howard284.000$385kARB 3FREE AGENT
Hipolito Pichardo253.000$360kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Fleming254.000$270kARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Magnante304.000$220kARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Haney264.000$220kARB 3FREE AGENT
Doug Linton303.000$159kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Henry Mercedes253.000$149kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tom Goodwin264.000$145kARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Grotewold293.000$109kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Mota304.000$109kARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (22)

PlayerAgeSvc1995199619971998199920002001
Bob Hamelin272.000$435kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Billy Brewer272.000$220kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Phil Hiatt262.000$150kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Keith Lockhart301.000$124kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brent Cookson250.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Edgar Caceres310.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Michael Tucker240.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Johnny Damon210.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick Huisman260.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Pittsley210.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Les Norman260.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jon Nunnally230.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joe Vitiello250.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joe Randa250.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Stynes220.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Sweeney210.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dilson Torres250.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Jacome241.000$94kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Converse232.000$69kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Anderson32–—
Melvin Bunch23–—
Russ McGinnis32–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Royals 1995; 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.