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Brewers MIL

198791–71 (0.562)
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GM: Harry Dalton

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
$7M
Surplus $M
+4
Win %
0.562
TAB
+8.5
WAB
+14.3
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
37.7
Dead money %
38%
Depth Players
10.0
Dead WAR
-4.3

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1987 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

LB.J. Surhoff98
RBill Schroeder67
RCharlie O'Brien10

1B

LGreg Brock141
RJim Paciorek21
RRob Deer12
LBilly Jo Robidoux10
RBill Schroeder4
LB.J. Surhoff1
LCecil Cooper1

2B

BJuan Castillo98
LJim Gantner57
RPaul Molitor19
BDale Sveum13
RSteve Kiefer4
BMike Felder1

3B

LErnest Riles65
RPaul Molitor41
LJim Gantner38
RSteve Kiefer26
RJim Paciorek15
LB.J. Surhoff10
BJuan Castillo6

SS

BDale Sveum142
LErnest Riles21
BJuan Castillo13

LF

RRob Deer98
BMike Felder80
LRick Manning21
RJim Paciorek4

CF

RRobin Yount150
BMike Felder22
LRick Manning8

RF

RGlenn Braggs123
LRick Manning51
RRob Deer29
RBrad Komminsk5
RJim Paciorek1

DH

LCecil Cooper62
RPaul Molitor58
LBilly Jo Robidoux10
RRobin Yount8
RGlenn Braggs7
LB.J. Surhoff6
RRob Deer4
RBill Schroeder2
RJim Paciorek2
RBrad Komminsk1
BMike Felder1
RSteve Stanicek1

Starters

LTeddy Higuera6.7 WAR
RChris Bosio3.7 WAR
LJuan Nieves2.5 WAR
RBill Wegman2.4 WAR
RMark Knudson0.8 WAR
RChuck Crim0.6 WAR
RLen Barker0.3 WAR
LJohn Henry Johnson0.2 WAR
RMike Birkbeck0.1 WAR
RMark Clear0.1 WAR
RRay Burris-0.2 WAR
RMark Ciardi-0.3 WAR

Bullpen

★ LDan Plesac23 sv
RMark Clear0 h
RJay Aldrich0 h
LPaul Mirabella0 h
LJohn Henry Johnson0 h
RRay Burris0 h
LDave Stapleton0 h
RMark Ciardi0 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
B.J. Surhoff2.4
Greg Brock1.7
Chuck Crim0.6
Dave Stapleton0.5
Paul Mirabella0.4
Charlie O'Brien0.4

Key subtractions (gone from 1986)

Player1986 fWAR
Tim Leary2.5
Danny Darwin1.9
Rick Cerone1.4
Charlie Moore1.2
Ben Oglivie0.4
Pete Vuckovich0.3

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Brewers. 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
Teddy Higuera 1987 +6.7 +135.0 0.3 +134.6 $0.0M 2.50× –
Paul Molitor 1987 +6.0 +82.4 1.3 +81.2 $0.2M 1.71× –
Chris Bosio 1987 +3.7 +42.8 0.1 +42.7 $0.0M 1.44× –
Robin Yount 1987 +3.2 +41.0 1.1 +39.9 $0.4M 1.60× –
Dan Plesac 1987 +2.3 +35.7 0.2 +35.5 $0.1M 1.95× –
Juan Nieves 1987 +2.5 +29.5 0.1 +29.3 $0.0M 1.49× –
Bill Wegman 1987 +2.4 +28.4 0.1 +28.3 $0.0M 1.49× –
Rob Deer 1987 +2.2 +21.3 0.2 +21.1 $0.1M 1.22× –
B.J. Surhoff 1987 +2.4 +14.6 0.1 +14.6 $0.0M 0.76× –
Bill Schroeder 1987 +2.3 +14.1 0.2 +13.9 $0.1M 0.76× –
Greg Brock 1987 +1.7 +11.0 0.4 +10.6 $0.2M 0.81× –
Glenn Braggs 1987 +1.4 +9.6 0.1 +9.5 $0.1M 0.83× –
Chuck Crim 1987 +0.6 +6.8 0.1 +6.7 $0.1M 1.34× –
Mark Knudson 1987 +0.8 +6.4 0.1 +6.3 $0.1M 1.02× –
Mike Felder 1987 +0.6 +3.9 0.1 +3.8 $0.1M 0.83× –
Dale Sveum 1987 +0.8 +3.7 0.1 +3.6 $0.1M 0.61× –
Len Barker 1987 +0.3 +2.3 0.1 +2.2 $0.3M 1.02× –
Jim Gantner 1987 +0.4 +1.9 0.4 +1.5 $0.9M 0.56× –
Mike Birkbeck 1987 +0.1 +0.9 0.1 +0.9 $0.6M 1.02× –
Mark Clear 1987 +0.1 +0.8 0.7 +0.1 $9.5M 1.34× –
Jay Aldrich 1987 -0.0 -0.2 0.1 -0.2 – 0.67× –
Ray Burris 1987 -0.2 -1.3 0.1 -1.4 – 0.67× –
Ernest Riles 1987 -0.3 -1.3 0.2 -1.5 – 0.58× –
Rick Manning 1987 -0.2 -1.1 0.6 -1.6 – 0.83× –
Juan Castillo 1987 -0.5 -2.3 0.1 -2.4 – 0.56× –
Cecil Cooper 1987 -0.8 -4.2 0.5 -4.7 – 0.69× –
Alex Madrid 1987 -0.1 -0.3 – – – 0.67× –
Billy Jo Robidoux 1987 -0.7 -2.9 – – – 0.56× –
Brad Komminsk 1987 -0.3 -1.8 – – – 0.83× –
Charlie O'Brien 1987 +0.4 +1.6 – – – 0.52× –
Dave Stapleton 1987 +0.5 +2.8 – – – 0.67× –
Jim Paciorek 1987 -0.4 -1.6 – – – 0.56× –
John Henry Johnson 1987 +0.2 +1.0 – – – 0.67× –
Mark Ciardi 1987 -0.3 -2.7 – – – 1.02× –
Paul Mirabella 1987 +0.4 +2.1 – – – 0.67× –
Steve Kiefer 1987 -0.6 -2.7 – – – 0.58× –
Steve Stanicek 1987 -0.0 -0.2 – – – 0.69× –
Total—+37.6+477.07.5+474.5—

Trades

Every graded 1987 deal involving the Brewers — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 3 total.

1987 · ATL / MIL
ATL · Bobby Cox +$9.6M
Dion James
MIL · Harry Dalton −$9.6M
Brad Komminsk
ATL came out ahead by $9.6M
1987 · OAK / MIL
OAK · Sandy Alderson +$0.0M
Russ McGinnis
MIL · Harry Dalton +$0.0M
Bill Mooneyham
Even trade
1987 · OAK / MIL
OAK · Sandy Alderson +$0.0M
Curt Brown
MIL · Harry Dalton +$0.0M
Eric Broersma
Even trade

Current & Historical Payroll

1987 payroll
$7.1M

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 (10)

PlayerAgeSvc1987198819891990199119921993
Paul Molitor309.000$1.3M$1.4M$2.1M$2.6M$3.2M$3.5MFREE AGENT
Robin Yount3113.000$1.1M$1.1M$1.1M$3.2M$3.2M$3.2M$2.7M
Mark Clear318.000$685k$535kFREE AGENT
Rick Manning3212.000$560kFREE AGENT
Cecil Cooper3716.000$493kFREE AGENT
Jim Gantner3411.000$375k$938k$900k$700k$1.0M$1.1MFREE AGENT
Ray Burris3614.000$100kFREE AGENT
Len Barker3111.000$72kFREE AGENT
John Henry Johnson309.000—FREE AGENT
Paul Mirabella339.000—$105k$230k$230kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (5)

PlayerAgeSvc1987198819891990199119921993
Greg Brock305.000$405kFREE AGENT
Rob Deer263.000$225kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill Schroeder284.000$185kARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Kiefer263.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brad Komminsk264.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (22)

PlayerAgeSvc1987198819891990199119921993
Teddy Higuera292.000$335kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dan Plesac251.000$180kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ernest Riles262.000$160kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Juan Nieves221.000$115kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill Wegman242.000$95kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dale Sveum231.000$92kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Juan Castillo251.000$90kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Glenn Braggs241.000$80kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Felder252.000$75kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Birkbeck261.000$70kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Knudson262.000$70kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Bosio241.000$62kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jay Aldrich260.000$62kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chuck Crim250.000$62kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
B.J. Surhoff220.000$62kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Ciardi25–—
Alex Madrid24–—
Charlie O'Brien272.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Paciorek27–—
Billy Jo Robidoux23–—
Steve Stanicek26–—
Dave Stapleton250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1987 acquisition stacked onto Brewers'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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