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Twins MIN

199870–92 (0.432)
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GM: Terry Ryan

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1998, 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
-15
Win %
0.432
TAB
-19.3
WAB
-6.5
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
9.8
Dead money %
60%
Depth Players
2.0
Dead WAR
-11.1

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1998 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RTerry Steinbach119
BJavier Valentin53
LA.J. Pierzynski6

1B

LDavid Ortiz70
RRon Coomer54
LOrlando Merced⇄38
RPaul Molitor9
LDoug Mientkiewicz8
LScott Stahoviak4
BDenny Hocking2
BBrent Gates1
RJon Shave1

2B

LTodd Walker140
BDenny Hocking46
BBrent Gates21

3B

BBrent Gates77
RRon Coomer75
RJon Shave15
BDenny Hocking11
LCorey Koskie10
RPaul Molitor2

SS

RPat Meares149
BDenny Hocking28
BBrent Gates1
RJon Shave1

LF

RMarty Cordova115
RAlex Ochoa21
BDenny Hocking17
BChris Latham13
LMatt Lawton III12

CF

BOtis Nixon108
LMatt Lawton III47
BChris Latham15
RTorii Hunter6
RAlex Ochoa4
BDenny Hocking1

RF

LMatt Lawton III100
RAlex Ochoa52
BDenny Hocking7
BChris Latham5
RRon Coomer3
LScott Stahoviak1

DH

RPaul Molitor115
RRon Coomer12
LDavid Ortiz10
RMarty Cordova4
RTerry Steinbach2
RAlex Ochoa1
BJavier Valentin1
LTodd Walker1

Starters

RBrad Radke4.1 WAR
RBob Tewksbury1.9 WAR
RLaTroy Hawkins1.6 WAR
LEric Milton1.4 WAR
RFrank Rodriguez1.3 WAR
RMike Morgan⇄1.0 WAR
LBenj Sampson0.6 WAR
LDan Serafini0.4 WAR
RMike Trombley-0.1 WAR

Bullpen

★ RRick Aguilera38 sv
LEddie Guardado0 h
RMike Trombley0 h
RHector Carrasco0 h
LGreg Swindell⇄0 h
RDan Naulty0 h
RTodd Ritchie0 h
LTravis Miller0 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 1997)

PlayerfWAR
Eric Milton1.4
Mike Morgan1.0
Benj Sampson0.6
Hector Carrasco0.5
A.J. Pierzynski-0.1
Jon Shave-0.1

Key subtractions (gone from 1997)

Player1997 fWAR
Chuck Knoblauch6.2
Rich Becker2.2
Greg Myers0.7
Rich Robertson0.3
Brent Brede0.2
Roberto Kelly0.1

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Twins. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 1998; everyone else is shown as a 1998 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Brad Radke 1998 +4.1 +72.4 1.4 +71.0 $0.3M 2.19× –
Matt Lawton III 1998 +3.1 +39.1 0.2 +38.9 $0.1M 1.60× –
Bob Tewksbury 1998 +1.9 +22.1 1.8 +20.3 $0.9M 1.49× –
LaTroy Hawkins 1998 +1.6 +18.8 0.2 +18.7 $0.1M 1.49× –
Rick Aguilera 1998 +1.4 +14.8 2.8 +12.0 $2.0M 1.34× –
Eric Milton 1998 +1.4 +11.4 0.2 +11.2 $0.1M 1.02× –
Frankie Rodriguez 1998 +1.3 +10.3 0.4 +9.9 $0.3M 1.02× –
Terry Steinbach 1998 +1.7 +10.3 2.9 +7.5 $1.7M 0.76× –
Mike Morgan↔ 1998 +1.0 +7.8 1.0 +6.8 $1.1M 1.02× –
Todd Walker 1998 +0.9 +4.1 0.2 +3.9 $0.2M 0.56× –
Dan Serafini 1998 +0.4 +2.1 0.2 +1.9 $0.4M 0.67× –
Hector Carrasco 1998 +0.5 +2.6 0.7 +1.9 $1.5M 0.67× –
David Ortiz 1998 +0.4 +1.9 0.2 +1.7 $0.4M 0.56× –
Todd Ritchie 1998 +0.3 +1.4 0.2 +1.2 $0.7M 0.67× –
Dan Naulty 1998 -0.0 -0.1 0.2 -0.2 – 0.67× –
A.J. Pierzynski 1998 -0.1 -0.2 0.2 -0.4 – 0.52× –
Greg Swindell↔ 1998 +0.1 +0.4 0.8 -0.5 $12.6M 0.67× –
Eddie Guardado 1998 -0.0 -0.0 0.7 -0.7 – 0.67× –
Mike Trombley 1998 -0.1 -0.3 0.4 -0.7 – 0.67× –
Travis Baptist 1998 -0.3 -1.5 0.2 -1.7 – 0.67× –
Orlando Merced↔ 1998 -0.4 -1.7 0.6 -2.3 – 0.56× –
Ron Coomer 1998 -0.5 -2.2 0.3 -2.5 – 0.58× –
Pat Meares 1998 -0.1 -0.5 2.5 -3.0 – 0.61× –
Brent Gates 1998 -0.6 -2.8 0.3 -3.2 – 0.58× –
Denny Hocking 1998 -0.8 -3.5 0.2 -3.7 – 0.56× –
Javier Valentin 1998 -1.0 -4.0 0.2 -4.2 – 0.52× –
Otis Nixon 1998 -0.6 -3.9 2.0 -5.9 – 0.83× –
Paul Molitor 1998 -0.8 -4.3 4.2 -8.5 – 0.69× –
Marty Cordova 1998 -1.7 -11.1 2.0 -13.1 – 0.83× –
Alex Ochoa 1998 -2.1 -13.8 0.2 -14.0 – 0.83× –
Benj Sampson 1998 +0.6 +3.0 – – – 0.67× –
Chris Latham 1998 -0.9 -6.2 – – – 0.83× –
Corey Koskie 1998 -0.4 -1.7 – – – 0.58× –
Doug Mientkiewicz 1998 -0.3 -1.1 – – – 0.56× –
Jon Shave 1998 -0.1 -0.6 – – – 0.58× –
Scott Stahoviak 1998 -0.2 -0.7 – – – 0.56× –
Torii Hunter 1998 -0.5 -3.1 – – – 0.83× –
Travis Miller 1998 +0.4 +2.4 – – – 0.67× –
Total—+9.6+161.627.4+142.3—

Trades

Every graded 1998 deal involving the Twins — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 5 total.

1998 · MIN / NYY
MIN · Terry Ryan +$159.2M
Brian Buchanan, Cristian Guzmán, Eric Milton, Danny Mota
NYY · Bob Watson −$159.2M
Chuck Knoblauch
MIN came out ahead by $159.2M
1998 · MIN / CHC
MIN · Terry Ryan +$7.2M
Scott Downs
CHC · Ed Lynch −$7.2M
Mike Morgan
MIN came out ahead by $7.2M
1998 · MIN / NYY
MIN · Terry Ryan +$2.4M
Allen Butler
NYY · Bob Watson −$2.4M
Dan Naulty
MIN came out ahead by $2.4M
1998 · MIL / MIN
MIL · Sal Bando +$22.4M
Alex Ochoa
MIN · Terry Ryan −$22.4M
Darrell Nicholas
MIL came out ahead by $22.4M
1998 · MIN / BOS
MIN · Terry Ryan +$6.4M
John Barnes, Matt Kinney, Joe Thomas
BOS · Dan Duquette −$6.4M
Orlando Merced, Greg Swindell
MIN came out ahead by $6.4M

Current & Historical Payroll

1998 payroll
$27.1M

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 (9)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Paul Molitor4120.000$4.2MFREE AGENT
Terry Steinbach3612.000$2.9M$1.0MFREE AGENT
Rick Aguilera3613.000$2.8M$3.1MFREE AGENT
Otis Nixon3915.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Bob Tewksbury3712.000$1.8MFREE AGENT
Mike Morgan3820.000$1.0MFREE AGENT
Greg Swindell3312.000$835kFREE AGENT
Orlando Merced318.000$600kFREE AGENT
Mike Trombley316.000$425k$1.5MFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (14)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Pat Meares295.000$2.5MFREE AGENT
Marty Cordova283.000$2.0MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brad Radke253.000$1.4MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Hector Carrasco284.000$700kARB 3FREE AGENT
Eddie Guardado275.000$650kFREE AGENT
Frankie Rodriguez253.000$425kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brent Gates285.000$350kFREE AGENT
Ron Coomer313.000$325kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Lawton III263.000$215kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Denny Hocking285.000$185kFREE AGENT
Alex Ochoa263.000$182kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
LaTroy Hawkins253.000$180kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jon Shave305.000—FREE AGENT
Scott Stahoviak285.000—FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (15)

PlayerAgeSvc1998199920002001200220032004
Dan Naulty282.000$185kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Todd Ritchie261.000$180kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Todd Walker252.000$175kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dan Serafini242.000$170kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
David Ortiz221.000$170kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Javier Valentin221.000$170kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eric Milton220.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Travis Baptist260.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
A.J. Pierzynski210.000$170kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Torii Hunter221.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Latham251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Travis Miller252.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Corey Koskie250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Benj Sampson230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Doug Mientkiewicz240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1998 acquisition stacked onto Twins'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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