RRosternomics
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Pirates PIT

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GM: Neal Huntington

Overview

REBUILD ↗ rising
cheap & losing · year 6 in this regime · payroll 0.46× league · TAB -1.4
-1.4TAB — talent above budget19th/30
-9.4WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)24th/30
5.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars22nd/30
-6.4dead WAR — sub-replacement drag26th/30
53%dead money %25th/30
0.385win %29th/30
23.1roster fWAR26th/30
+13surplus $M (value vs cost)8th/30
$42Mpayroll $M29th/30

Roster

CFAndrew McCutchen 108GJeff Salazar 2GBrian Bixler 1G
LFNyjer Morgan 63GLastings Milledge 56GBrandon Moss 21G
RFBrandon Moss 79GGarrett Jones 39GDelwyn Young 26G
SSRonny Cedeno 82GRamón Vázquez 28GLuis Alfonso Cruz 17G
2BDelwyn Young 53GRamón Vázquez 22GLuis Alfonso Cruz 5G
3BAndy LaRoche 146GRamón Vázquez 14GNeil Walker 9G
1BSteve Pearce 42GGarrett Jones 30GEric Hinske 6G
STARTERSPaul Maholm 3.6WARZach Duke 3.3WARCharlie Morton 1.5WARRoss Ohlendorf 1.2WARJeff Karstens 0.4WAR
CRyan Doumit 71GJason Jaramillo 62GRobinzon Díaz 33G
DHCraig Monroe 3G
BULLPEN★ Matt Capps 27svJesse Chavez 15hJoel Hanrahan 9hEvan Meek 4hSteven Jackson 4hDonnie Veal 1hJose Ascanio 1hPhil Dumatrait 1h
CRyan Doumit 71 · Jason Jaramillo 62 · Robinzon Díaz 33
1BSteve Pearce 42 · Garrett Jones 30 · Eric Hinske 6
2BDelwyn Young 53 · Ramón Vázquez 22 · Luis Alfonso Cruz 5
3BAndy LaRoche 146 · Ramón Vázquez 14 · Neil Walker 9
SSRonny Cedeno 82 · Ramón Vázquez 28 · Luis Alfonso Cruz 17
LFNyjer Morgan 63 · Lastings Milledge 56 · Brandon Moss 21
CFAndrew McCutchen 108 · Jeff Salazar 2 · Brian Bixler 1
RFBrandon Moss 79 · Garrett Jones 39 · Delwyn Young 26
DHCraig Monroe 3
SPPaul Maholm 3.6 · Zach Duke 3.3 · Charlie Morton 1.5 · Ross Ohlendorf 1.2 · Jeff Karstens 0.4
BP★ Matt Capps 27 · Jesse Chavez 15 · Joel Hanrahan 9 · Evan Meek 4 · Steven Jackson 4 · Donnie Veal 1 · Jose Ascanio 1 · Phil Dumatrait 1

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.

2009 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Paul Maholm 27 arb 313.6 2.5 +6.0
Andrew McCutchen 22 – 1083.4 0.3 +7.8
Zach Duke 26 arb 333.3 2.2 +5.8
Garrett Jones 28 pre-arb 822.7 0.4 +6.0
Andy LaRoche 25 pre-arb 1502.2 0.4 +4.8
Nyjer Morgan↔ WSN 28 pre-arb 711.9 0.2 +4.3
Nate McLouth↔ ATL 27 arb 451.7 0.9 +3.3
Jack Wilson↔ SEA 31 FA-elig 751.6 5.2 -1.4
Freddy Sanchez↔ SFG 31 FA-elig 861.5 4.8 -1.2
Charlie Morton 25 – 181.5 0.4 +3.2
Ross Ohlendorf 26 pre-arb 291.2 0.4 +2.4
Ian Snell↔ SEA 27 arb 160.7 1.8 -0.1
Joel Hanrahan↔ WSN 27 pre-arb 330.7 0.2 +1.4
Jeff Karstens 26 arb 390.4 0.4 +0.7
Lastings Milledge↔ WSN 24 arb 580.4 0.4 +0.7
Eric Hinske↔ NYY 31 FA-elig 540.4 0.9 +0.2
Evan Meek 26 pre-arb 410.3 0.4 +0.4
Kevin Hart↔ CHC 26 pre-arb 100.3 0.2 +0.5
Adam LaRoche↔ ATL 29 arb 870.2 4.1 -3.5
Ronny Cedeno↔ SEA 26 arb 460.2 0.4 +0.1
Steven Jackson 27 pre-arb 400.2 0.4 +0.0
Denny Bautista 28 – 140.2 – –
Virgil Vasquez 27 – 140.2 – –
Tom Gorzelanny↔ CHC 26 arb 90.2 0.2 +0.2
Daniel McCutchen 26 – 60.1 – –
Jose Ascanio↔ CHC 24 pre-arb 20.1 0.1 +0.1
Chris Bootcheck 30 – 130.1 – –
John Grabow↔ CHC 30 FA-elig 450.1 1.4 -1.2
Sean Burnett↔ WSN 26 arb 380.0 0.2 -0.2
Eric Hacker 26 – 30.0 – –
Craig Hansen 25 arb 5-0.0 0.8 -0.9
Steve Pearce 26 pre-arb 60-0.0 0.4 -0.5
Brian Bixler 26 pre-arb 18-0.1 0.4 -0.5
Anthony Claggett↔ NYY 24 pre-arb 1-0.1 0.1 -0.3
Jesse Chavez 25 pre-arb 73-0.1 0.4 -0.6
Matt Capps 25 arb 57-0.1 2.4 -2.7
Brandon Moss 25 pre-arb 133-0.1 0.4 -0.7
Delwyn Young 27 – 124-0.1 – –
Robinzon Diaz 25 – 41-0.2 – –
Luis Alfonso Cruz 25 pre-arb 27-0.2 0.4 -0.8
Tyler Yates 31 arb 15-0.2 1.3 -1.8
Ramón Vázquez 32 FA-elig 101-0.2 1.9 -2.4
Donnie Veal 24 pre-arb 19-0.3 0.4 -1.0
Jeff Salazar 28 – 21-0.3 – –
Neil Walker 23 – 17-0.4 0.4 -1.3
Craig Monroe 32 FA-elig 34-0.4 0.8 -1.8
Phil Dumatrait 27 pre-arb 15-0.6 0.4 -1.9
Jason Jaramillo 26 pre-arb 63-0.7 0.4 -2.0
Ryan Doumit 28 arb 75-2.3 2.1 -7.6

Key additions (new vs 2008)

PlayerfWAR
Andrew McCutchen3.4
Garrett Jones2.7
Charlie Morton1.5
Joel Hanrahan0.7
Lastings Milledge0.4
Eric Hinske0.4

Key subtractions (gone from 2008)

Player2008 fWAR
Xavier Nady2.3
Jason Bay1.8
Damaso Marte1.0
Doug Mientkiewicz0.8
Raul Chavez0.4
Ty Taubenheim0.3

Current & Historical Payroll

2009 payroll
$41.9M

What the front office was committed to as of 2009, 2009–2015. 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 (7)

PlayerAgeSvc2009201020112012201320142015
Jack Wilson318.000$5.2MFREE AGENT
Freddy Sanchez317.000$4.8MFREE AGENT
Ramón Vázquez328.000$1.9MFREE AGENT
John Grabow306.000$1.4MFREE AGENT
Eric Hinske317.000$871kFREE AGENT
Craig Monroe328.000$750kFREE AGENT
Chris Bootcheck306.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (17)

PlayerAgeSvc2009201020112012201320142015
Adam LaRoche295.000$4.1MFREE AGENT
Paul Maholm274.000$2.5MARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Capps254.000$2.4MARB 3FREE AGENT
Zach Duke264.000$2.2MARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan Doumit284.000$2.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Ian Snell275.000$1.8MFREE AGENT
Tyler Yates315.000$1.3MFREE AGENT
Nate McLouth274.000$872kARB 3FREE AGENT
Craig Hansen254.000$825kARB 3FREE AGENT
Lastings Milledge243.000$403kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Karstens263.000$402kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ronny Cedeno264.000$360kARB 3FREE AGENT
Sean Burnett265.000$219kFREE AGENT
Tom Gorzelanny264.000$177kARB 3FREE AGENT
Denny Bautista285.000—FREE AGENT
Jeff Salazar283.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Delwyn Young273.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (25)

PlayerAgeSvc2009201020112012201320142015
Brandon Moss252.000$414kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Andy LaRoche252.000$414kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ross Ohlendorf262.000$414kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Pearce262.000$408kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Charlie Morton251.000$405kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Bixler261.000$404kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jesse Chavez251.000$402kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Phil Dumatrait272.000$402kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Luis Alfonso Cruz251.000$402kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Evan Meek261.000$400kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Jaramillo260.000$400kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steven Jackson270.000$400kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Garrett Jones282.000$400kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Neil Walker230.000$400kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Donnie Veal240.000$400kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Andrew McCutchen220.000$269kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nyjer Morgan282.000$243kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kevin Hart262.000$226kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joel Hanrahan272.000$207kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Anthony Claggett240.000$133kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Ascanio242.000$51kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Robinzon Diaz25–—
Daniel McCutchen260.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Virgil Vasquez27–—
Eric Hacker26–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Pirates 2009; 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.