RRosternomics
𝕏

Pirates PIT

‹ ›

GM: Larry Doughty

Overview

WINDOW ↗ rising
cheap & winning · year 1 in this regime · payroll 0.83× league · TAB +13.5
+13.5TAB — talent above budget2nd/26
+15.4WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)3rd/26
8.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars10th/26
-3.6dead WAR — sub-replacement drag8th/26
24%dead money %9th/26
0.586win %2nd/26
45.5roster fWAR3rd/26
+6surplus $M (value vs cost)3rd/26
$14Mpayroll $M19th/26

1990: made playoffs · 95–67. Ranks are vs the 26 teams that season.

Roster

CFAndy Van Slyke 133GR.J. Reynolds 24GJohn Cangelosi 9G
LFBarry Bonds 149GLloyd McClendon 24GCarmelo Martinez 22G
RFBobby Bonilla 149GR.J. Reynolds 26GMark Ryal 2G
SSJay Bell 159GRafael Belliard 10GCarlos García 3G
2BJosé Lind 152GRafael Belliard 21GWally Backman 15G
3BJeff King 115GWally Backman 71GBobby Bonilla 14G
1BSid Bream 142GGary Redus 72GCarmelo Martinez 48G
STARTERSDoug Drabek 4.9WARZane Smith 2.2WARJohn Smiley 1.8WARRandy Tomlin 1.4WARBob Patterson 1.0WAR
CMichael LaValliere 95GDon Slaught 78GDann Bilardello 19G
BULLPEN★ Bill Landrum 13svStan Belinda 0hBob Kipper 0hTed Power 0hDoug Bair 0hMark Ross 0hVicente Palacios 0hMike Roesler 0h
CMichael LaValliere 95 · Don Slaught 78 · Dann Bilardello 19
1BSid Bream 142 · Gary Redus 72 · Carmelo Martinez 48
2BJosé Lind 152 · Rafael Belliard 21 · Wally Backman 15
3BJeff King 115 · Wally Backman 71 · Bobby Bonilla 14
SSJay Bell 159 · Rafael Belliard 10 · Carlos García 3
LFBarry Bonds 149 · Lloyd McClendon 24 · Carmelo Martinez 22
CFAndy Van Slyke 133 · R.J. Reynolds 24 · John Cangelosi 9
RFBobby Bonilla 149 · R.J. Reynolds 26 · Mark Ryal 2
SPDoug Drabek 4.9 · Zane Smith 2.2 · John Smiley 1.8 · Randy Tomlin 1.4 · Bob Patterson 1.0
BP★ Bill Landrum 13 · Stan Belinda 0 · Bob Kipper 0 · Ted Power 0 · Doug Bair 0 · Mark Ross 0 · Vicente Palacios 0 · Mike Roesler 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
Barry Bonds 25 arb 1519.9 0.8 +3.6
Doug Drabek 27 arb 334.9 1.1 +1.1
Andy Van Slyke 29 FA-elig 1364.4 1.2 +0.8
Bobby Bonilla 27 arb 1603.8 1.2 +0.4
Sid Bream 29 FA-elig 1473.2 0.5 +0.9
Don Slaught 31 FA-elig 842.5 0.7 +0.5
Zane Smith↔ WSN 29 FA-elig 112.2 0.3 +0.7
Michael LaValliere 29 FA-elig 962.1 0.6 +0.4
Jay Bell 24 arb 1592.0 0.2 +0.7
John Smiley 25 arb 261.8 0.8 -0.0
Gary Redus 33 FA-elig 961.6 0.5 +0.2
Wally Backman 30 FA-elig 1041.4 0.4 +0.2
Randy Tomlin 24 – 121.4 – –
Jose Lind 26 arb 1521.0 0.3 +0.2
Bob Patterson 31 arb 551.0 0.1 +0.3
Bob Walk 33 FA-elig 260.9 0.8 -0.4
Jeff King 25 pre-arb 1270.8 0.1 +0.2
Neal Heaton 30 FA-elig 320.7 0.7 -0.4
Bill Landrum 32 arb 540.6 0.3 -0.0
Rick Reed 24 – 130.5 – –
Stan Belinda 23 pre-arb 550.5 0.1 +0.1
R.J. Reynolds 31 FA-elig 950.4 0.5 -0.3
Vicente Palacios 26 – 70.3 – –
Ted Power 35 FA-elig 400.3 0.3 -0.2
Scott Ruskin↔ WSN 27 pre-arb 440.3 0.1 +0.0
Mike York 25 pre-arb 40.1 0.1 -0.0
Lloyd McClendon↔ CHC 31 arb 40.1 0.0 +0.0
Jay Tibbs↔ BAL 28 FA-elig 50.1 0.1 -0.1
Carlos Garcia 22 pre-arb 40.1 0.1 -0.1
Carmelo Martinez↔ PHI 29 FA-elig 120.0 0.1 -0.1
Moises Alou↔ WSN 23 pre-arb 2-0.0 0.0 -0.0
Mike Roesler 26 – 5-0.1 – –
Doug Bair 40 FA-elig 22-0.1 0.3 -0.4
Randy Kramer↔ CHC 29 pre-arb 12-0.1 0.1 -0.1
Orlando Merced 23 pre-arb 25-0.1 0.1 -0.1
Jerry Reuss 41 – 4-0.1 – –
Mark Ross 32 – 9-0.1 – –
Mark Huismann 32 – 2-0.2 – –
Steve Carter 25 – 5-0.2 – –
Tom Prince 25 arb 4-0.2 0.1 -0.2
John Cangelosi 27 – 58-0.2 – –
Mark Ryal 30 – 9-0.3 – –
Dann Bilardello 31 – 19-0.3 – –
Bob Kipper 25 arb 41-0.4 0.5 -0.7
Rafael Belliard 28 FA-elig 47-0.4 0.4 -0.6
Walt Terrell↔ DET 32 FA-elig 16-0.6 0.4 -0.7

Key additions (new vs 1989)

PlayerfWAR
Don Slaught2.5
Zane Smith2.2
Wally Backman1.4
Randy Tomlin1.4
Vicente Palacios0.3
Ted Power0.3

Key subtractions (gone from 1989)

Player1989 fWAR
Glenn Wilson3.1
Jeff Robinson0.9
Billy Hatcher0.1
Scott Little0.1
Mike Smith0.0
Dorn Taylor-0.0

Current & Historical Payroll

1990 payroll
$14.2M

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 (19)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Andy Van Slyke297.000$1.2M$2.2M$4.3M$4.9M$3.5MFREE AGENT
Bob Walk3310.000$850k$850k$2.0M$2.2MFREE AGENT
Neal Heaton308.000$700k$1.0MFREE AGENT
Don Slaught318.000$650k$767k$1.7M$1.1M$1.5M$2.0MFREE AGENT
Michael LaValliere296.000$575k$1.0M$1.9M$2.3MFREE AGENT
R.J. Reynolds317.000$535kFREE AGENT
Sid Bream297.000$510kFREE AGENT
Gary Redus338.000$500k$600k$825kFREE AGENT
Walt Terrell328.000$441kFREE AGENT
Wally Backman3010.000$400kFREE AGENT
Rafael Belliard288.000$380kFREE AGENT
Ted Power359.000$350kFREE AGENT
Doug Bair4014.000$325kFREE AGENT
Zane Smith296.000$278k$2.2M$2.5M$2.7M$3.1MFREE AGENT$400k
Jay Tibbs286.000$112kFREE AGENT
Carmelo Martinez297.000$101k$454kFREE AGENT
Dann Bilardello317.000—FREE AGENT
Mark Huismann327.000—FREE AGENT
Jerry Reuss4121.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (13)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Bobby Bonilla274.000$1.2MARB 3FREE AGENT
Doug Drabek274.000$1.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Barry Bonds254.000$850kARB 3FREE AGENT
John Smiley254.000$840kARB 3FREE AGENT
Bob Kipper255.000$525kFREE AGENT
Bill Landrum324.000$302kARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Lind263.000$270kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jay Bell244.000$180kARB 3FREE AGENT
Bob Patterson315.000$150kFREE AGENT
Tom Prince253.000$107kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lloyd McClendon313.000$16kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Cangelosi275.000—FREE AGENT
Vicente Palacios263.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (14)

PlayerAgeSvc1990199119921993199419951996
Jeff King251.000$112kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike York250.000$104kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Orlando Merced230.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Stan Belinda231.000$100kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Garcia220.000$100kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Randy Kramer292.000$82kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Ruskin270.000$66kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Moises Alou230.000$12kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Carter25–—
Rick Reed242.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Roesler261.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Ross32–—
Mark Ryal30–—
Randy Tomlin240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Pirates 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.