RRosternomics
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Dodgers LAD

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GM: Fred Claire

Overview

CONTEND ↘ cooling
expensive & winning · year 1 in this regime · payroll 1.2× league · TAB +0.1
+0.1TAB — talent above budget12th/26
+1.7WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)11th/26
9.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars1st/26
-7.0dead WAR — sub-replacement drag21st/26
23%dead money %6th/26
0.531win %7th/26
36.6roster fWAR9th/26
-4surplus $M (value vs cost)17th/26
$20Mpayroll $M7th/26

Roster

CFStan Javier 74GKirk Gibson 70GJuan Samuel 31G
LFKal Daniels 127GJose Gonzalez 43GChris Gwynn 32G
RFHubie Brooks 150GJose Gonzalez 26GStan Javier 17G
SSAlfredo Griffin 139GJose Offerman 27GMike Sharperson 15G
2BJuan Samuel 108GLenny Harris 44GMike Sharperson 9G
3BMike Sharperson 106GLenny Harris 94GMickey Hatcher 10G
1BEddie Murray 150GMickey Hatcher 25GMike Sharperson 6G
STARTERSRamon Martinez 4.7WARFernando Valenzuela 2.8WARMike Morgan 1.9WARTim Belcher 1.6WARJim Neidlinger 1.6WAR
CMike Scioscia 132GRick Dempsey 53GBarry Lyons 25G
BULLPEN★ Jay Howell 16svTim Crews 0hJim Gott 0hDon Aase 0hRay Searage 0hDave Walsh 0hJim Poole 0hDarren Holmes 0h
CMike Scioscia 132 · Rick Dempsey 53 · Barry Lyons 25
1BEddie Murray 150 · Mickey Hatcher 25 · Mike Sharperson 6
2BJuan Samuel 108 · Lenny Harris 44 · Mike Sharperson 9
3BMike Sharperson 106 · Lenny Harris 94 · Mickey Hatcher 10
SSAlfredo Griffin 139 · Jose Offerman 27 · Mike Sharperson 15
LFKal Daniels 127 · Jose Gonzalez 43 · Chris Gwynn 32
CFStan Javier 74 · Kirk Gibson 70 · Juan Samuel 31
RFHubie Brooks 150 · Jose Gonzalez 26 · Stan Javier 17
SPRamon Martinez 4.7 · Fernando Valenzuela 2.8 · Mike Morgan 1.9 · Tim Belcher 1.6 · Jim Neidlinger 1.6
BP★ Jay Howell 16 · Tim Crews 0 · Jim Gott 0 · Don Aase 0 · Ray Searage 0 · Dave Walsh 0 · Jim Poole 0 · Darren Holmes 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.

1990 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Eddie Murray 34 FA-elig 1555.9 2.5 +0.1
Ramon Martinez 22 pre-arb 334.7 0.1 +1.9
Kal Daniels 26 arb 1304.4 0.6 +1.4
Stan Javier↔ OAK 26 FA-elig 1043.5 0.3 +1.3
Mike Scioscia 31 FA-elig 1353.0 1.2 +0.1
Fernando Valenzuela 29 FA-elig 352.8 2.0 -0.8
Kirk Gibson 33 FA-elig 892.6 1.3 -0.2
Mike Sharperson 28 arb 1292.1 0.1 +0.8
Lenny Harris 25 pre-arb 1372.1 0.1 +0.8
Mike Morgan 30 FA-elig 331.9 0.7 +0.2
Jim Neidlinger 25 pre-arb 121.6 0.1 +0.6
Tim Belcher 28 arb 241.6 0.5 +0.3
Hubie Brooks 33 FA-elig 1531.5 1.4 -0.7
Tim Crews 29 arb 661.0 0.2 +0.2
Mike Hartley 28 pre-arb 320.8 0.1 +0.3
Jay Howell 34 FA-elig 450.8 1.0 -0.7
Juan Samuel 29 FA-elig 1430.7 1.4 -1.0
Orel Hershiser 31 FA-elig 40.6 2.0 -1.7
Willie Randolph↔ OAK 35 FA-elig 260.5 0.2 +0.0
Rick Dempsey 40 FA-elig 620.4 0.5 -0.3
Ray Searage 35 FA-elig 290.3 0.3 -0.2
Dave Walsh 29 pre-arb 200.2 0.1 +0.0
Chris Gwynn 25 arb 1010.2 0.1 -0.0
Darren Holmes 24 – 140.1 – –
Carlos Hernandez 23 – 100.1 – –
Barry Lyons↔ NYM 30 arb 30.1 0.0 +0.0
John Wetteland 23 pre-arb 220.0 0.1 -0.1
Jose Vizcaino 22 – 370.0 – –
Mike Munoz 24 – 80.0 – –
Darrin Fletcher↔ PHI 23 pre-arb 2-0.0 0.0 -0.0
Brian Traxler 22 – 9-0.0 – –
John Shelby↔ DET 32 FA-elig 25-0.1 0.1 -0.1
Dave Hansen 21 pre-arb 5-0.1 0.1 -0.1
Pat Perry 31 arb 7-0.1 0.1 -0.2
Mike Maddux 28 arb 11-0.1 0.1 -0.2
Jim Gott 30 FA-elig 50-0.2 0.3 -0.4
Jim Poole 24 – 16-0.2 – –
Luis Lopez 25 – 6-0.2 – –
Jose Gonzalez 25 arb 106-0.3 0.1 -0.3
Terry Wells 26 pre-arb 5-0.3 0.1 -0.2
Jeff Hamilton 26 arb 7-0.3 0.5 -0.6
Don Aase 35 FA-elig 32-0.4 0.3 -0.5
Dennis Cook↔ PHI 27 pre-arb 5-0.6 0.0 -0.3
Jose Offerman 21 pre-arb 29-0.8 0.1 -0.5
Mickey Hatcher 35 FA-elig 85-1.0 0.5 -0.9
Alfredo Griffin 32 FA-elig 141-2.2 1.0 -2.0

Key additions (new vs 1989)

PlayerfWAR
Stan Javier3.5
Jim Neidlinger1.6
Hubie Brooks1.5
Juan Samuel0.7
Dave Walsh0.2
Darren Holmes0.1

Key subtractions (gone from 1989)

Player1989 fWAR
Alejandro Pena1.2
Franklin Stubbs1.1
Mike Marshall1.1
Mike Davis0.8
Tim Leary0.7
Mike Huff0.2

Current & Historical Payroll

1990 payroll
$20.4M

What the front office was committed to as of 1990, 1990–1996. 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)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Eddie Murray3413.000$2.5M$2.6MFREE AGENT
Fernando Valenzuela2910.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Orel Hershiser317.000$2.0M$3.2M$4.3M$4.3M$3.3MFREE AGENT
Hubie Brooks3310.000$1.4MFREE AGENT
Juan Samuel297.000$1.4M$1.6M$1.4MFREE AGENT
Kirk Gibson3311.000$1.3MFREE AGENT
Mike Scioscia3110.000$1.2M$2.2M$2.2MFREE AGENT
Jay Howell3410.000$1.0M$1.1M$2.6MFREE AGENT
Alfredo Griffin3214.000$1.0M$900kFREE AGENT
Mike Morgan3012.000$650k$650kFREE AGENT
Rick Dempsey4021.000$500kFREE AGENT
Mickey Hatcher3511.000$450kFREE AGENT
Ray Searage359.000$342kFREE AGENT
Jim Gott308.000$300k$1.7M$2.1M$1.8M$1.8MFREE AGENT
Don Aase3513.000$300kFREE AGENT
Stan Javier266.000$262k$650k$407kFREE AGENT
Willie Randolph3515.000$191kFREE AGENT
John Shelby329.000$121kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (10)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Kal Daniels264.000$600kARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Hamilton264.000$465kARB 3FREE AGENT
Tim Belcher283.000$450kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tim Crews293.000$215kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Gonzalez255.000$150kFREE AGENT
Pat Perry315.000$150kFREE AGENT
Mike Sharperson283.000$135kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Gwynn253.000$125kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Maddux284.000$122kARB 3FREE AGENT
Barry Lyons304.000$24kARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (18)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Ramon Martinez222.000$150kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lenny Harris252.000$145kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Wetteland231.000$142kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Offerman210.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Walsh290.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Neidlinger250.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Hansen210.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Hartley281.000$100kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Terry Wells260.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Darrin Fletcher231.000$18kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dennis Cook272.000$12kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Hernandez230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Darren Holmes240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Luis Lopez25–—
Mike Munoz241.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Poole240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Traxler22–—
Jose Vizcaino221.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Dodgers 1990; 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.