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Athletics OAK

199678–84 (0.481)
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GM: Sandy Alderson

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1996, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$21M
Surplus $M
+2
Win %
0.481
TAB
-2.4
WAB
+1.8
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
26.4
Dead money %
28%
Depth Players
5.0
Dead WAR
-8.5

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1996 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RTerry Steinbach137
BGeorge Williams43
RIzzy Molina12

1B

RMark McGwire109
LJason Giambi45
BTorey Lovullo42
RScott Brosius10
LMatt Stairs1
RBrian Lesher1
RTerry Steinbach1
RWebster Garrison1

2B

RRafael Bournigal64
BBrent Gates63
RTony Batista52
RWebster Garrison3
BTorey Lovullo2

3B

RScott Brosius109
LJason Giambi39
RTony Batista18
BTorey Lovullo11
BScott Spiezio5

SS

RMike Bordick155
RRafael Bournigal23
RTony Batista4
BTorey Lovullo1

LF

LPhil Plantier67
LJason Giambi44
RDamon Mashore35
RAllen Battle24
RGerónimo Berroa17
LMatt Stairs16
RBrian Lesher14
RErnie Young9
RScott Brosius3
BTorey Lovullo1

CF

RErnie Young133
RAllen Battle27
LJose Herrera18
BKerwin Moore18
RDamon Mashore7
RScott Brosius2
LPhil Plantier1

RF

LJose Herrera92
RGerónimo Berroa54
LMatt Stairs29
RErnie Young16
RDamon Mashore15
RBrian Lesher14
RPedro Munoz14
LPhil Plantier2
LJason Giambi1

DH

RGerónimo Berroa89
RMark McGwire18
RPedro Munoz17
LJason Giambi12
BGeorge Williams10
BScott Spiezio4
LMatt Stairs4
RTerry Steinbach4
BTorey Lovullo2
RIzzy Molina1
RTony Batista1

Starters

RAriel Prieto2.2 WAR
RWillie Adams1.4 WAR
LDoug Johns0.9 WAR
RDave Telgheder0.8 WAR
LSteve Wojciechowski0.7 WAR
RJohn Wasdin0.6 WAR
LBuddy Groom0.6 WAR
RDon Wengert0.3 WAR
RCarlos Reyes0.2 WAR
RBobby Chouinard-0.0 WAR
RAaron Small-0.0 WAR
RTodd Van Poppel⇄-0.4 WAR

Bullpen

★ RBilly Taylor17 sv
LBuddy Groom0 h
LMike Mohler0 h
RJim Corsi0 h
RMark Acre0 h
RJohn Briscoe0 h
RJay Witasick0 h
RAaron Small0 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 1995)

PlayerfWAR
Billy Taylor1.5
Tony Batista1.4
Willie Adams1.4
Dave Telgheder0.8
Matt Stairs0.7
Buddy Groom0.6

Key subtractions (gone from 1995)

Player1995 fWAR
Todd Stottlemyre4.0
Rickey Henderson2.6
Steve Ontiveros2.4
Stan Javier2.2
Dennis Eckersley0.9
Dave Stewart0.7

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Athletics. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 1996; everyone else is shown as a 1996 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Mark McGwire 1996 +7.3 +80.5 7.0 +73.5 $1.0M 1.37× –
Scott Brosius 1996 +5.8 +66.4 1.0 +65.4 $0.2M 1.43× –
Terry Steinbach 1996 +3.9 +35.4 4.2 +31.2 $1.1M 1.12× –
Geronimo Berroa 1996 +2.8 +30.4 1.1 +29.2 $0.4M 1.33× –
Ariel Prieto 1996 +2.2 +26.4 0.2 +26.2 $0.1M 1.49× –
Billy Taylor 1996 +1.5 +15.8 0.1 +15.7 $0.1M 1.34× –
Willie Adams 1996 +1.4 +11.0 0.1 +10.9 $0.1M 1.02× –
Ernie Young 1996 +1.2 +7.9 0.1 +7.8 $0.1M 0.83× –
Doug Johns 1996 +0.9 +7.2 0.1 +7.1 $0.1M 1.02× –
Dave Telgheder 1996 +0.8 +6.5 0.1 +6.4 $0.2M 1.02× –
Tony Batista 1996 +1.4 +6.3 0.1 +6.2 $0.1M 0.56× –
Mike Mohler 1996 +0.5 +5.9 0.2 +5.7 $0.3M 1.34× –
Jason Giambi 1996 +1.2 +5.5 0.1 +5.4 $0.1M 0.56× –
John Wasdin 1996 +0.6 +5.3 0.1 +5.2 $0.2M 1.02× –
Matt Stairs 1996 +0.7 +4.8 0.1 +4.6 $0.2M 0.83× –
Buddy Groom 1996 +0.6 +3.1 0.2 +2.9 $0.3M 0.67× –
Don Wengert 1996 +0.3 +2.6 0.1 +2.5 $0.4M 1.02× –
Jim Corsi 1996 +0.5 +2.6 0.5 +2.2 $0.9M 0.67× –
Carlos Reyes 1996 +0.2 +0.8 0.2 +0.7 $1.1M 0.67× –
Aaron Small 1996 -0.0 -0.1 0.1 -0.2 – 0.67× –
Kerwin Moore 1996 -0.0 -0.0 0.1 -0.2 – 0.83× –
Mark Acre 1996 -0.0 -0.0 0.1 -0.2 – 0.67× –
Brent Gates 1996 -0.1 -0.5 0.3 -0.8 – 0.56× –
John Briscoe 1996 -0.2 -0.8 0.1 -1.0 – 0.67× –
Rafael Bournigal 1996 -0.2 -0.9 0.1 -1.0 – 0.56× –
Izzy Molina 1996 -0.3 -1.3 0.1 -1.4 – 0.52× –
Damon Mashore 1996 -0.2 -1.6 0.1 -1.7 – 0.83× –
Brian Lesher 1996 -0.3 -1.9 0.1 -2.0 – 0.83× –
Todd Van Poppel↔ 1996 -0.4 -2.2 0.2 -2.4 – 0.67× –
Torey Lovullo 1996 -0.5 -2.4 0.2 -2.6 – 0.56× –
George Williams 1996 -0.7 -2.8 0.1 -2.9 – 0.52× –
Steve Montgomery 1996 -0.5 -2.8 0.1 -2.9 – 0.67× –
Mike Bordick 1996 -0.3 -1.6 2.0 -3.6 – 0.61× –
Pedro Munoz 1996 -0.9 -4.8 0.6 -5.4 – 0.69× –
Phil Plantier 1996 -1.0 -6.6 0.5 -7.1 – 0.83× –
Allen Battle 1996 -1.2 -7.9 0.1 -8.0 – 0.83× –
Bobby Chouinard 1996 -0.0 -0.1 – – – 1.02× –
Jay Witasick 1996 -0.3 -1.6 – – – 0.67× –
Jose Herrera 1996 -1.2 -7.9 – – – 0.83× –
Paul Fletcher 1996 -0.0 -0.0 – – – 0.67× –
Scott Spiezio 1996 +0.2 +1.1 – – – 0.58× –
Steve Wojciechowski 1996 +0.7 +6.0 – – – 1.02× –
Webster Garrison 1996 -0.2 -0.8 – – – 0.56× –
Total—+26.2+282.920.5+265.4—

Trades

Every graded 1996 deal involving the Athletics — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 4 total.

1996 · STL / OAK
STL · Walt Jocketty +$116.0M
Todd Stottlemyre
OAK · Sandy Alderson −$116.0M
Allen Battle, Carl Dale, Bret Wagner#84, Jay Witasick
STL came out ahead by $116.0M
1996 · OAK / CHW
OAK · Sandy Alderson +$24.0M
Andrew Lorraine, Charles Poe
CHW · Ron Schueler −$24.0M
Danny Tartabull
OAK came out ahead by $24.0M
1996 · OAK / STL
OAK · Sandy Alderson +$1.6M
Steve Montgomery
STL · Walt Jocketty −$1.6M
Dennis Eckersley
OAK came out ahead by $1.6M
1996 · DET / OAK
DET · Randy Smith +$4.0M
Fausto Cruz, Ramón Fermín
OAK · Sandy Alderson −$4.0M
Phil Plantier
DET came out ahead by $4.0M

Current & Historical Payroll

1996 payroll
$20.9M

What the front office was committed to as of 1996, 1996–2002. 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 (8)

PlayerAgeSvc1996199719981999200020012002
Mark McGwire3210.000$7.0M$4.8MFREE AGENT
Terry Steinbach3410.000$4.2MFREE AGENT
Mike Bordick306.000$2.0MFREE AGENT
Geronimo Berroa317.000$1.1M$1.8MFREE AGENT
Pedro Munoz276.000$595kFREE AGENT
Phil Plantier276.000$500kFREE AGENT
Jim Corsi348.000$450kFREE AGENT
Torey Lovullo308.000$180kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (9)

PlayerAgeSvc1996199719981999200020012002
Scott Brosius295.000$970kFREE AGENT
Brent Gates263.000$290kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Todd Van Poppel245.000$241kFREE AGENT
Buddy Groom304.000$195kARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Mohler273.000$155kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rafael Bournigal304.000$150kARB 3FREE AGENT
John Briscoe285.000$150kFREE AGENT
Dave Telgheder293.000$148kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Stairs284.000$130kARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (26)

PlayerAgeSvc1996199719981999200020012002
Ariel Prieto261.000$181kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Reyes272.000$170kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Acre272.000$140kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Billy Taylor342.000$135kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Giambi251.000$120kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Aaron Small242.000$118kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Allen Battle271.000$117kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Don Wengert261.000$117kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
George Williams271.000$115kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Doug Johns281.000$114kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ernie Young262.000$112kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Wasdin231.000$111kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Willie Adams230.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tony Batista220.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Lesher250.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Izzy Molina250.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Damon Mashore260.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kerwin Moore250.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Montgomery250.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bobby Chouinard240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Paul Fletcher29–—
Webster Garrison30–—
Jose Herrera231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Spiezio230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jay Witasick230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Wojciechowski251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

How each 1996 acquisition stacked onto Athletics'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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