RRosternomics
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Brewers MIL

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GM: Sal Bando

Overview

REBUILD ↘ cooling
cheap & losing · year 6 in this regime · payroll 0.8× league · TAB -6.5
-6.5TAB — talent above budget23rd/30
-5.1WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)21st/30
5.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars19th/30
-4.6dead WAR — sub-replacement drag13th/30
38%dead money %22nd/30
0.457win %21st/30
25.0roster fWAR21st/30
-6surplus $M (value vs cost)16th/30
$33Mpayroll $M20th/30

Roster

CFMarquis Grissom 137GDarrin Jackson 43GEric Owens 5G
LFGeoff Jenkins 81GMarc Newfield 55GDarrin Jackson 55G
RFJeromy Burnitz 161GDarrin Jackson 5GBobby Hughes 3G
SSJose Valentin 139GMark Loretta 56G
2BFernando Viña 158GMark Loretta 13GEric Owens 4G
3BJeff Cirillo 149GMark Loretta 22GBrian Banks 1G
1BMark Loretta 70GJohn Jaha 57GBob Hamelin 51G
STARTERSSteve Woodard 2.7WARScott Karl 1.5WARCal Eldred 1.0WARDavid Weathers 0.6WARBill Pulsipher 0.4WAR
CMike Matheny 107GBobby Hughes 72GJesse Levis 14G
DHJohn Jaha 8G
BULLPEN★ Bob Wickman 25svMike Myers 0hEric Plunk 0hAl Reyes 0hChad Fox 0hBronswell Patrick 0hValerio De Los Santos 0hRod Henderson 0h
CMike Matheny 107 · Bobby Hughes 72 · Jesse Levis 14
1BMark Loretta 70 · John Jaha 57 · Bob Hamelin 51
2BFernando Viña 158 · Mark Loretta 13 · Eric Owens 4
3BJeff Cirillo 149 · Mark Loretta 22 · Brian Banks 1
SSJose Valentin 139 · Mark Loretta 56
LFGeoff Jenkins 81 · Marc Newfield 55 · Darrin Jackson 55
CFMarquis Grissom 137 · Darrin Jackson 43 · Eric Owens 5
RFJeromy Burnitz 161 · Darrin Jackson 5 · Bobby Hughes 3
DHJohn Jaha 8
SPSteve Woodard 2.7 · Scott Karl 1.5 · Cal Eldred 1.0 · David Weathers 0.6 · Bill Pulsipher 0.4
BP★ Bob Wickman 25 · Mike Myers 0 · Eric Plunk 0 · Al Reyes 0 · Chad Fox 0 · Bronswell Patrick 0 · Valerio De Los Santos 0 · Rod Henderson 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.

1998 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Jeff Cirillo 28 arb 1566.5 1.5 +5.5
Jeromy Burnitz 29 arb 1613.8 0.9 +3.2
Fernando Viña 29 arb 1593.1 1.1 +2.2
Steve Woodard 23 pre-arb 342.7 0.2 +2.8
Mark Loretta 26 arb 1402.5 0.3 +2.5
Jose Valentin 28 FA-elig 1511.5 2.1 -0.5
Scott Karl 26 arb 341.5 0.8 +0.8
Chad Fox 27 pre-arb 491.2 0.2 +1.2
Dave Nilsson 28 FA-elig 1021.2 3.7 -2.4
Cal Eldred 30 FA-elig 241.0 3.3 -2.2
Bob Wickman 29 FA-elig 721.0 1.5 -0.5
Marquis Grissom 31 FA-elig 1420.9 5.0 -4.0
David Weathers↔ CIN 28 FA-elig 280.6 0.2 +0.5
Bill Pulsipher↔ NYM 24 – 110.4 – –
Bronswell Patrick 27 pre-arb 320.4 0.2 +0.3
Jeff Juden↔ ANA 27 FA-elig 240.4 0.8 -0.4
Eric Plunk↔ CLE 34 FA-elig 260.3 0.7 -0.4
Jesse Levis 30 FA-elig 220.3 0.3 -0.1
Brian Banks 27 – 240.1 – –
Darrin Jackson 34 FA-elig 1140.1 0.6 -0.5
John Jaha 32 FA-elig 730.1 3.4 -3.3
Bobby Chouinard↔ ARI 26 pre-arb 10.0 0.0 +0.0
Valerio De Los Santos 25 pre-arb 130.0 0.2 -0.1
Travis Smith 25 pre-arb 10.0 0.2 -0.1
Mike Myers 29 arb 690.0 0.5 -0.5
Greg Mullins 26 – 20.0 – –
Geoff Jenkins 23 – 84-0.0 – –
Ronnie Belliard 23 – 8-0.0 – –
Marcus Jensen 25 – 2-0.0 – –
Jose Mercedes 27 arb 7-0.1 1.1 -1.1
Joe Hudson 27 – 1-0.1 – –
Bobby Hughes 27 pre-arb 85-0.1 0.2 -0.3
Brad Woodall 29 arb 37-0.1 0.2 -0.3
Greg Martinez 26 pre-arb 13-0.1 0.2 -0.3
Rod Henderson 27 – 2-0.1 – –
Al Reyes 28 arb 50-0.2 0.2 -0.4
Rafael Roque 26 pre-arb 9-0.3 0.2 -0.5
Paul Wagner 30 FA-elig 13-0.3 0.5 -0.8
Marc Newfield 25 arb 93-0.5 0.3 -0.8
Mike Matheny 27 arb 108-0.5 0.8 -1.3
Eric Owens 27 arb 34-0.6 0.2 -0.8
Bob Hamelin 30 arb 109-0.6 0.5 -1.1
Doug Jones↔ CLE 41 FA-elig 46-0.9 1.7 -2.7

Key additions (new vs 1997)

PlayerfWAR
Chad Fox1.2
Marquis Grissom0.9
David Weathers0.6
Bill Pulsipher0.4
Bronswell Patrick0.4
Jeff Juden0.4

Key subtractions (gone from 1997)

Player1997 fWAR
Ben McDonald3.0
Mike Fetters1.2
Bryce Florie0.9
Jeff D'Amico0.6
Jack Voigt0.5
Gerald Williams0.4

Current & Historical Payroll

1998 payroll
$33.4M

What the front office was committed to as of 1998, 1998–2004. 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 (13)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Marquis Grissom319.000$5.0M$5.0M$5.0MFREE AGENT
Dave Nilsson286.000$3.7M$5.7MFREE AGENT
John Jaha326.000$3.4MFREE AGENT
Cal Eldred307.000$3.3M$4.8MFREE AGENT
Jose Valentin286.000$2.1M$3.0MFREE AGENT
Doug Jones4116.000$1.7MFREE AGENT
Bob Wickman296.000$1.5M$3.3M$1.5MFREE AGENT
Jeff Juden277.000$750kFREE AGENT
Eric Plunk3412.000$743k$1.9MFREE AGENT
Darrin Jackson3413.000$550kFREE AGENT
Paul Wagner306.000$450kFREE AGENT
Jesse Levis306.000$350kFREE AGENT
David Weathers287.000$191k$405k$650k$780kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (16)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Jeff Cirillo284.000$1.5MARB 3FREE AGENT
Fernando Viña295.000$1.1MFREE AGENT
Jose Mercedes274.000$1.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeromy Burnitz295.000$912kFREE AGENT
Scott Karl263.000$800kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Matheny274.000$800kARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Myers293.000$525kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bob Hamelin305.000$450kFREE AGENT
Marc Newfield255.000$319kFREE AGENT
Mark Loretta263.000$275kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eric Owens273.000$180kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Al Reyes283.000$180kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brad Woodall294.000$172kARB 3FREE AGENT
Rod Henderson274.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joe Hudson273.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill Pulsipher243.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (14)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Steve Woodard231.000$174kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chad Fox271.000$174kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bobby Hughes270.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bronswell Patrick270.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Greg Martinez260.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Valerio De Los Santos250.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Travis Smith250.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rafael Roque260.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bobby Chouinard262.000$6kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Banks272.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Marcus Jensen252.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Geoff Jenkins230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ronnie Belliard230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Greg Mullins26–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Brewers 1998; 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.