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Mariners SEA

198868–93 (0.422)
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GM: Dick Balderson

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1988, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$8M
Surplus $M
+2
Win %
0.422
TAB
+2.5
WAB
-8.0
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
31.3
Dead money %
46%
Depth Players
7.0
Dead WAR
-4.3

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1988 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

LScott Bradley85
RDave Valle84
RBill McGuire9

1B

LAlvin Davis115
RSteve Balboni⇄53
LMike Kingery10
RBrick Smith4
LScott Bradley2
RJohn Rabb1
RDave Valle1
RDarnell Coles⇄1
RMario Diaz1

2B

BHarold Reynolds158
RMario Diaz4
RRick Renteria4

3B

RJim Presley146
REdgar Martinez13
RRick Renteria5
LScott Bradley3
RMario Diaz1

SS

RRey Quinones135
RMario Diaz21
RRick Renteria11

LF

RMickey Brantley Sr.118
RDarnell Coles⇄21
LBruce Fields14
LGreg Briley11
LMike Kingery9
RDave Hengel4
RJay Buhner⇄3

CF

RHenry Cotto120
RMickey Brantley Sr.49
LMike Kingery24
RJay Buhner⇄13
LBruce Fields1

RF

RJay Buhner⇄44
RDarnell Coles⇄29
LMike Kingery13
LBruce Fields8
RDave Hengel8
RMickey Brantley Sr.4
LScott Bradley4
RJohn Rabb2

DH

LKen Phelps⇄72
RSteve Balboni⇄56
LAlvin Davis24
RDave Hengel7
RRick Renteria5
RRey Quinones4
RJim Presley4
RDarnell Coles⇄3
RDave Valle3
RJohn Rabb1
RGlenn Wilson⇄1

Starters

RMike Moore4.6 WAR
LMark Langston4.0 WAR
RScott Bankhead3.6 WAR
RBill Swift1.8 WAR
RErik Hanson0.9 WAR
RMike Campbell0.5 WAR
RTerry Taylor0.2 WAR
LDennis Powell-0.0 WAR
REdwin Nunez⇄-0.0 WAR
LSteve Trout-0.2 WAR

Bullpen

★ RMike Schooler15 sv
RMike Jackson0 h
RJerry Reed0 h
LRod Scurry0 h
LBill Wilkinson0 h
RJulio Solano0 h
LGene Walter⇄0 h
REdwin Nunez⇄0 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 1987)

PlayerfWAR
Jay Buhner2.6
Bill Swift1.8
Steve Balboni1.1
Mike Schooler1.0
Darnell Coles1.0
Erik Hanson0.9

Key subtractions (gone from 1987)

Player1987 fWAR
Phil Bradley3.4
Mike Morgan3.1
Lee Guetterman1.4
Domingo Ramos0.5
Mark Huismann0.2
Donell Nixon0.1

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Mariners. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 1988; everyone else is shown as a 1988 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Mike Moore 1988 +4.6 +81.4 0.5 +80.9 $0.1M 2.19× –
Mark Langston 1988 +4.0 +69.7 0.8 +68.9 $0.2M 2.19× –
Scott Bankhead 1988 +3.6 +63.5 0.1 +63.4 $0.0M 2.19× –
Alvin Davis 1988 +3.7 +35.4 0.9 +34.5 $0.2M 1.20× –
Jay Buhner↔ 1988 +2.6 +33.7 0.0 +33.6 $0.0M 1.60× –
Bill Swift 1988 +1.8 +20.9 0.1 +20.8 $0.0M 1.49× –
Ken Phelps↔ 1988 +2.2 +17.6 0.4 +17.2 $0.2M 1.01× –
Harold Reynolds 1988 +2.1 +13.6 0.2 +13.4 $0.1M 0.82× –
Rey Quinones 1988 +1.7 +12.1 0.1 +11.9 $0.1M 0.89× –
Mike Schooler 1988 +1.0 +10.4 0.1 +10.4 $0.1M 1.34× –
Mickey Brantley Sr. 1988 +1.0 +6.6 0.1 +6.5 $0.1M 0.83× –
Darnell Coles↔ 1988 +1.0 +6.4 0.2 +6.2 $0.2M 0.83× –
Dave Valle 1988 +1.5 +6.2 0.1 +6.0 $0.1M 0.52× –
Steve Balboni↔ 1988 +1.1 +5.8 0.3 +5.6 $0.3M 0.69× –
Henry Cotto 1988 +0.7 +4.8 0.1 +4.7 $0.1M 0.83× –
Mike Campbell 1988 +0.5 +4.2 0.1 +4.2 $0.1M 1.02× –
Mike Jackson 1988 +0.7 +3.7 0.1 +3.7 $0.1M 0.67× –
Terry Taylor 1988 +0.2 +1.4 0.1 +1.3 $0.4M 1.02× –
Bill Wilkinson 1988 +0.2 +1.1 0.1 +1.0 $0.5M 0.67× –
Jerry Reed 1988 +0.2 +1.1 0.1 +1.0 $0.6M 0.67× –
Gene Walter↔ 1988 +0.2 +0.9 0.1 +0.9 $0.3M 0.67× –
John Rabb 1988 +0.1 +1.0 0.1 +0.9 $0.6M 0.83× –
Mario Diaz 1988 +0.1 +0.5 0.1 +0.5 $0.6M 0.61× –
Dennis Powell 1988 -0.0 -0.0 0.1 -0.1 – 0.67× –
Scott Bradley 1988 +0.0 +0.0 0.1 -0.1 $20.7M 0.52× –
Ed Nunez↔ 1988 -0.0 -0.2 0.2 -0.3 – 0.67× –
Bill McGuire 1988 -0.1 -0.5 0.1 -0.5 – 0.52× –
Bruce Fields 1988 -0.1 -0.6 0.1 -0.7 – 0.83× –
Mike Kingery 1988 -0.2 -1.0 0.1 -1.1 – 0.83× –
Julio Solano 1988 -0.2 -1.3 0.1 -1.4 – 0.67× –
Rod Scurry 1988 -0.3 -1.7 0.1 -1.9 – 0.67× –
Steve Trout 1988 -0.2 -1.7 1.0 -2.7 – 1.02× –
Rick Renteria 1988 -0.6 -3.1 0.1 -3.1 – 0.61× –
Jim Presley 1988 -0.8 -3.6 0.5 -4.2 – 0.58× –
Glenn Wilson↔ 1988 -0.9 -4.9 0.6 -5.5 – 0.69× –
Brick Smith 1988 -0.2 -0.8 – – – 0.56× –
Dave Hengel 1988 -0.6 -3.9 – – – 0.83× –
Edgar Martinez 1988 -0.0 -0.1 – – – 0.58× –
Erik Hanson 1988 +0.9 +7.7 – – – 1.02× –
Greg Briley 1988 -0.1 -0.5 – – – 0.83× –
Total—+31.4+385.87.9+375.9—

Trades

Every graded 1988 deal involving the Mariners — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 6 total.

1988 · SEA / NYM
SEA · Dick Balderson +$3.2M
Gene Walter
NYM · Frank Cashen −$3.2M
Ed Núñez
SEA came out ahead by $3.2M
1988 · SEA / NYM
SEA · Dick Balderson +$3.2M
Reggie Dobie
NYM · Frank Cashen −$3.2M
Chuck Carr
SEA came out ahead by $3.2M
1988 · KCR / SEA
KCR · John Schuerholz +$8.0M
Ken Spratke
SEA · Dick Balderson −$8.0M
Dave Cochrane
KCR came out ahead by $8.0M
1988 · SFG / SEA
SFG · Al Rosen +$8.8M
Donell Nixon
SEA · Dick Balderson −$8.8M
Rod Scurry
SFG came out ahead by $8.8M
1988 · PIT / SEA
PIT · Larry Doughty +$27.2M
Glenn Wilson
SEA · Dick Balderson −$27.2M
Darnell Coles
PIT came out ahead by $27.2M
1988 · SEA / NYY
SEA · Dick Balderson +$67.2M
Jay Buhner, Rick Balabon, Troy Evers
NYY · Lou Piniella −$67.2M
Ken Phelps
SEA came out ahead by $67.2M

Current & Historical Payroll

1988 payroll
$7.6M

What the front office was committed to as of 1988, 1988–1994. 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)

PlayerAgeSvc1988198919901991199219931994
Steve Trout3010.000$990k$105kFREE AGENT
Glenn Wilson296.000$577kFREE AGENT
Mike Moore286.000$482kFREE AGENT
Ken Phelps338.000$412kFREE AGENT
Steve Balboni317.000$288kFREE AGENT
Ed Nunez256.000$187kFREE AGENT
Rod Scurry328.000$145kFREE AGENT
Jerry Reed327.000$125k$265k$334kFREE AGENT
John Rabb286.000$80kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (13)

PlayerAgeSvc1988198919901991199219931994
Alvin Davis274.000$888kARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Langston274.000$820kARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Presley264.000$535kARB 3FREE AGENT
Harold Reynolds275.000$200kFREE AGENT
Darnell Coles265.000$168kFREE AGENT
Scott Bradley284.000$130kARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Valle274.000$125kARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill Wilkinson233.000$100kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Henry Cotto274.000$90kARB 3FREE AGENT
Julio Solano285.000$80kFREE AGENT
Bill Swift263.000$78kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dennis Powell243.000$72kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gene Walter273.000$51kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (18)

PlayerAgeSvc1988198919901991199219931994
Rey Quinones242.000$120kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Bankhead242.000$112kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mickey Brantley Sr.272.000$112kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Kingery272.000$112kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Jackson232.000$78kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick Renteria262.000$66kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mario Diaz261.000$62kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill McGuire240.000$62kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bruce Fields272.000$62kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Campbell241.000$62kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Terry Taylor230.000$62kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Schooler250.000$62kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jay Buhner231.000$47kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Greg Briley230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Erik Hanson230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dave Hengel26–—
Edgar Martinez251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brick Smith29–—

Graphs

How each 1988 acquisition stacked onto Mariners'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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