Rosternomics
Log in Sign up 𝕏

Cardinals STL

199688–74 (0.543)Made Playoffs
‹ Previous Next ›

GM: Walt Jocketty

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
$39M
Surplus $M
-9
Win %
0.543
TAB
+0.2
WAB
+3.7
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
36.7
Dead money %
9%
Depth Players
8.0
Dead WAR
-2.6

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1996 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RTom Pagnozzi116
RDanny Sheaffer47
RMike DiFelice4

1B

LJohn Mabry146
LMark Sweeney15
RGary Gaetti14
BDmitri Young10
RDanny Sheaffer6
BWillie McGee6
RBrian Jordan1
RPat Borders⇄1
RTom Pagnozzi1

2B

BLuis Alicea125
RMike Gallego43
RDavid Bell20
RAaron Holbert1

3B

RGary Gaetti133
RDavid Bell45
RDanny Sheaffer17
RMike Gallego7

SS

RRoyce Clayton113
BOzzie Smith52
RMike Gallego1
RDavid Bell1

LF

RRon Gant116
LMark Sweeney36
BWillie McGee35
RMiguel Mejia5
LTerry Bradshaw4
RDanny Sheaffer3
LJohn Mabry1

CF

LRay Lankford144
RBrian Jordan13
RMiguel Mejia11
BWillie McGee11
LTerry Bradshaw3

RF

RBrian Jordan128
BWillie McGee42
LJohn Mabry13
LMark Sweeney7
RMiguel Mejia6
LTerry Bradshaw1

DH

—

Starters

LDonovan Osborne3.3 WAR
RTodd Stottlemyre2.8 WAR
RAndy Benes2.4 WAR
RAlan Benes0.6 WAR
LDanny Jackson0.6 WAR
RMike Morgan⇄0.1 WAR
RMark Petkovsek0.0 WAR
RBrian Barber-0.1 WAR
LTom Urbani⇄-0.2 WAR
REric Ludwick-0.2 WAR
RMike Busby-0.3 WAR

Bullpen

★ RDennis Eckersley30 sv
RT.J. Mathews0 h
LTony Fossas0 h
LRick Honeycutt0 h
RCory Bailey0 h
RJeff Parrett⇄0 h
LDanny Jackson0 h
RRich Batchelor0 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
Ron Gant3.3
Todd Stottlemyre2.8
Andy Benes2.4
Gary Gaetti2.1
Royce Clayton1.9
Luis Alicea1.1

Key subtractions (gone from 1995)

Player1995 fWAR
Bernard Gilkey2.8
Tom Henke1.3
José Oquendo1.0
Todd Zeile0.8
John Habyan0.8
Allen Watson0.7

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Cardinals. 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
Ray Lankford 1996 +5.5 +89.8 2.4 +87.4 $0.4M 2.05× –
Brian Jordan 1996 +5.3 +86.6 2.5 +84.1 $0.5M 2.05× –
Donovan Osborne 1996 +3.3 +51.9 0.7 +51.1 $0.2M 1.96× –
Todd Stottlemyre 1996 +2.8 +44.3 4.0 +40.3 $1.4M 1.96× –
Ron Gant 1996 +3.3 +42.9 4.0 +38.9 $1.2M 1.60× –
Andy Benes 1996 +2.4 +28.2 3.4 +24.8 $1.4M 1.49× –
Gary Gaetti 1996 +2.1 +14.3 2.0 +12.3 $0.9M 0.85× –
Royce Clayton 1996 +1.9 +13.4 1.6 +11.8 $0.9M 0.89× –
Tom Pagnozzi 1996 +2.3 +13.7 2.7 +11.0 $1.2M 0.76× –
T.J. Mathews 1996 +0.8 +8.9 0.1 +8.8 $0.2M 1.34× –
Alan Benes 1996 +0.6 +4.9 0.1 +4.7 $0.2M 1.02× –
Dennis Eckersley 1996 +0.7 +7.0 2.2 +4.7 $3.4M 1.34× –
John Mabry 1996 +1.1 +4.9 0.2 +4.7 $0.2M 0.56× –
Rick Honeycutt 1996 +1.0 +5.3 0.6 +4.7 $0.6M 0.67× –
Luis Alicea 1996 +1.1 +5.0 0.8 +4.3 $0.7M 0.56× –
Cory Bailey 1996 +0.7 +3.5 0.1 +3.4 $0.2M 0.67× –
Willie McGee 1996 +0.6 +3.8 0.6 +3.2 $1.1M 0.83× –
Ozzie Smith 1996 +1.3 +6.5 3.5 +3.0 $2.7M 0.61× –
Mark Sweeney 1996 +0.4 +2.9 0.1 +2.8 $0.3M 0.83× –
Jeff Parrett↔ 1996 +0.5 +2.5 0.4 +2.1 $0.9M 0.67× –
Pat Borders↔ 1996 +0.3 +1.4 0.1 +1.3 $0.4M 0.56× –
David Bell 1996 +0.1 +0.7 0.1 +0.5 $0.9M 0.58× –
Mark Petkovsek 1996 +0.0 +0.2 0.1 +0.1 $3.8M 0.67× –
Mike Morgan↔ 1996 +0.1 +0.7 1.0 -0.3 $11.9M 1.02× –
Danny Jackson 1996 +0.6 +3.1 4.1 -1.0 $7.1M 0.67× –
Dmitri Young 1996 -0.2 -0.8 0.1 -1.0 – 0.56× –
Eric Ludwick 1996 -0.2 -1.2 0.1 -1.3 – 0.67× –
Tom Urbani↔ 1996 -0.2 -1.2 0.0 -1.3 – 1.02× –
Danny Sheaffer 1996 -0.3 -1.4 0.3 -1.7 – 0.52× –
Tony Fossas 1996 -0.2 -1.3 0.7 -2.0 – 0.67× –
Mike Busby 1996 -0.3 -2.6 0.1 -2.7 – 1.02× –
Mike Gallego 1996 -0.5 -2.4 0.3 -2.7 – 0.56× –
Miguel Mejia 1996 -0.4 -2.8 0.1 -2.9 – 0.83× –
Aaron Holbert 1996 -0.1 -0.3 – – – 0.56× –
Brian Barber 1996 -0.1 -0.9 – – – 1.02× –
Mike DiFelice 1996 +0.0 +0.1 – – – 0.52× –
Rich Batchelor 1996 +0.4 +2.1 – – – 0.67× –
Terry Bradshaw 1996 +0.1 +0.6 – – – 0.83× –
Total—+36.8+434.339.1+393.1—

Trades

Every graded 1996 deal involving the Cardinals — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 7 total.

1996 · STL / ANA
STL · Walt Jocketty +$3.2M
Ben VanRyn
ANA · Bill Bavasi −$3.2M
Pat Borders
STL came out ahead by $3.2M
1996 · STL / SFG
STL · Walt Jocketty +$2.4M
Tom Lampkin
SFG · Bob Quinn −$2.4M
René Arocha
STL came out ahead by $2.4M
1996 · NYM / STL
NYM · Joe McIlvaine +$114.4M
Bernard Gilkey
STL · Walt Jocketty −$114.4M
Erik Hiljus, Eric Ludwick, Yudith Ozorio
NYM came out ahead by $114.4M
1996 · TEX / STL
TEX · Douglas Melvin +$0.0M
Cory Bailey
STL · Walt Jocketty +$0.0M
David Chavarria
Even trade
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 · STL / DET
STL · Walt Jocketty +$3.2M
Micah Franklin, Brian Maxcy
DET · Randy Smith −$3.2M
Miguel Inzunza, Tom Urbani
STL came out ahead by $3.2M
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

Current & Historical Payroll

1996 payroll
$39.4M

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 (18)

PlayerAgeSvc1996199719981999200020012002
Danny Jackson3413.000$4.1M$3.5MFREE AGENT
Todd Stottlemyre318.000$4.0M$4.1M$3.4MFREE AGENT
Ron Gant319.000$4.0M$4.5M$5.5MFREE AGENT
Ozzie Smith4118.000$3.5MFREE AGENT
Andy Benes287.000$3.4M$4.8MFREE AGENT$2.9M$6.7M$6.4M
Tom Pagnozzi339.000$2.7M$1.6M$2.1MFREE AGENT
Ray Lankford296.000$2.4M$4.5M$4.7M$6.6M$7.6M$5.6MFREE AGENT
Dennis Eckersley4121.000$2.2M$1.6MFREE AGENT
Gary Gaetti3715.000$2.0M$2.1M$711kFREE AGENT
Mike Morgan3618.000$978kFREE AGENT
Luis Alicea308.000$750kFREE AGENT
Tony Fossas388.000$650k$750kFREE AGENT
Willie McGee3714.000$600k$1.3M$1.4M$1.0MFREE AGENT
Rick Honeycutt4219.000$600k$500kFREE AGENT
Jeff Parrett3410.000$437kFREE AGENT
Danny Sheaffer349.000$335k$425kFREE AGENT
Mike Gallego3511.000$300kFREE AGENT
Pat Borders338.000$128kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (7)

PlayerAgeSvc1996199719981999200020012002
Brian Jordan294.000$2.5MARB 3FREE AGENT
Royce Clayton265.000$1.6MFREE AGENT
Donovan Osborne274.000$725kARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Petkovsek305.000$150kFREE AGENT
Cory Bailey253.000$125kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tom Urbani283.000$43kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rich Batchelor293.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (13)

PlayerAgeSvc1996199719981999200020012002
John Mabry252.000$200kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
T.J. Mathews261.000$130kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
David Bell231.000$125kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Sweeney261.000$125kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alan Benes241.000$122kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Busby230.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Miguel Mejia210.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eric Ludwick240.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dmitri Young220.000$109kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brian Barber231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Terry Bradshaw271.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike DiFelice270.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Aaron Holbert23–—

Graphs

How each 1996 acquisition stacked onto Cardinals'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).
Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · © 2026 Rosternomics