RRosternomics
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Cardinals STL

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GM: Walt Jocketty

Overview

CONTEND ↗ rising
expensive & winning · year 2 in this regime · payroll 1.13× league · TAB +4.9
+4.9TAB — talent above budget7th/28
-10.6WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)26th/28
9.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars4th/28
-5.1dead WAR — sub-replacement drag15th/28
20%dead money %6th/28
0.451win %23rd/28
40.7roster fWAR8th/28
-4surplus $M (value vs cost)15th/28
$44Mpayroll $M10th/28

Roster

CFRay Lankford 131GWillie McGee 18GBrian Jordan 14G
LFRon Gant 128GWillie McGee 18GDanny Sheaffer 13G
RFJohn Mabry 71GWillie McGee 53GBrian Jordan 30G
SSRoyce Clayton 153GDavid Bell 13GLuis Ordaz 11G
2BDelino DeShields 147GDavid Bell 23GMike Gallego 11G
3BGary Gaetti 132GDavid Bell 35GDanny Sheaffer 30G
1BMark McGwire 151GDmitri Young 74GJohn Mabry 49G
STARTERSAndy Benes 5.4WARMatt Morris 5.0WARTodd Stottlemyre 4.1WARAlan Benes 3.5WARDonovan Osborne 1.0WAR
CMike DiFelice 91GTom Lampkin 86GEli Marrero 17G
DHWillie McGee 3GRon Gant 1GScott Livingstone 1G
BULLPEN★ Dennis Eckersley 36svTony Fossas 0hJohn Frascatore 0hMark Petkovsek 0hRigo Beltran 0hJose Bautista 0hCurtis King 0hBrady Raggio 0h
CMike DiFelice 91 · Tom Lampkin 86 · Eli Marrero 17
1BMark McGwire 151 · Dmitri Young 74 · John Mabry 49
2BDelino DeShields 147 · David Bell 23 · Mike Gallego 11
3BGary Gaetti 132 · David Bell 35 · Danny Sheaffer 30
SSRoyce Clayton 153 · David Bell 13 · Luis Ordaz 11
LFRon Gant 128 · Willie McGee 18 · Danny Sheaffer 13
CFRay Lankford 131 · Willie McGee 18 · Brian Jordan 14
RFJohn Mabry 71 · Willie McGee 53 · Brian Jordan 30
DHWillie McGee 3 · Ron Gant 1 · Scott Livingstone 1
SPAndy Benes 5.4 · Matt Morris 5.0 · Todd Stottlemyre 4.1 · Alan Benes 3.5 · Donovan Osborne 1.0
BP★ Dennis Eckersley 36 · Tony Fossas 0 · John Frascatore 0 · Mark Petkovsek 0 · Rigo Beltran 0 · Jose Bautista 0 · Curtis King 0 · Brady Raggio 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.

1997 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Ray Lankford 30 FA-elig 1335.6 4.5 +1.3
Andy Benes 29 FA-elig 265.4 4.8 +0.7
Matt Morris 22 pre-arb 345.0 0.1 +5.0
Todd Stottlemyre 32 FA-elig 294.1 4.1 +0.1
Delino DeShields 28 FA-elig 1503.9 1.6 +2.3
Alan Benes 25 pre-arb 233.5 0.2 +3.3
Royce Clayton 27 FA-elig 1542.9 2.6 +0.3
Mark McGwire↔ OAK 33 FA-elig 512.2 2.3 -0.1
Gary Gaetti 38 FA-elig 1482.2 2.1 +0.2
Donovan Osborne 28 arb 141.0 2.8 -1.7
Rigo Beltran 27 pre-arb 351.0 0.1 +0.9
Willie McGee 38 FA-elig 1221.0 1.3 -0.3
Tom Lampkin 33 FA-elig 1080.8 0.5 +0.4
Brian Jordan 30 arb 470.8 3.3 -2.4
Ron Gant 32 FA-elig 1390.8 4.5 -3.7
John Mabry 26 arb 1160.6 0.4 +0.3
T.J. Mathews↔ OAK 27 pre-arb 400.6 0.1 +0.4
Curtis King 26 pre-arb 300.5 0.1 +0.4
John Frascatore 27 arb 590.5 0.2 +0.3
Dmitri Young 23 pre-arb 1100.5 0.2 +0.3
Manny Aybar 25 – 120.3 – –
Brady Raggio 24 – 150.3 – –
Micah Franklin 25 – 170.3 – –
Eli Marrero 23 – 170.3 – –
Dennis Eckersley 42 FA-elig 570.3 1.6 -1.3
Phil Plantier↔ SDP 28 – 420.2 – –
Mike DiFelice 28 pre-arb 930.2 0.2 +0.1
Mike Busby 24 – 30.2 – –
Luis Ordaz 21 – 120.2 – –
Rich Batchelor↔ SDP 30 arb 100.1 0.1 +0.1
Lance Painter 29 arb 140.1 0.4 -0.3
Fernando Valenzuela↔ SDP 36 FA-elig 50.0 0.4 -0.4
Rick Honeycutt 43 FA-elig 20.0 0.5 -0.5
Tom McGraw 29 – 2-0.0 – –
Danny Jackson↔ SDP 35 FA-elig 4-0.0 1.1 -1.1
Tom Pagnozzi 34 FA-elig 25-0.0 1.6 -1.7
Sean Lowe 26 – 6-0.0 – –
Eric Ludwick↔ OAK 25 pre-arb 5-0.1 0.1 -0.1
Steve Scarsone 31 – 5-0.1 – –
Jose Bautista↔ DET 32 FA-elig 11-0.1 0.1 -0.1
Mike Gulan 26 – 5-0.2 – –
Tony Fossas 39 FA-elig 71-0.2 0.8 -1.0
Mike Gallego 36 – 27-0.2 – –
Jeff Berblinger 26 – 7-0.2 – –
Mark Sweeney↔ SDP 27 pre-arb 44-0.3 0.1 -0.3
Scarborough Green 23 pre-arb 20-0.3 0.1 -0.4
Scott Livingstone↔ SDP 31 FA-elig 42-0.5 0.4 -0.9
Roberto Mejia 25 arb 7-0.5 0.2 -0.7
Mark Petkovsek 31 FA-elig 55-0.6 0.3 -0.9
Danny Sheaffer 35 FA-elig 76-0.7 0.4 -1.2
David Bell 24 pre-arb 66-1.1 0.2 -1.3

Key additions (new vs 1996)

PlayerfWAR
Matt Morris5.0
Delino DeShields3.9
Mark McGwire2.2
Rigo Beltran1.0
Tom Lampkin0.8
Curtis King0.5

Key subtractions (gone from 1996)

Player1996 fWAR
Ozzie Smith1.3
Luis Alicea1.1
Cory Bailey0.7
Jeff Parrett0.5
Pat Borders0.3
Terry Bradshaw0.1

Current & Historical Payroll

1997 payroll
$44.5M

What the front office was committed to as of 1997, 1997–2003. 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 (22)

PlayerAgeSvc1997199819992000200120022003
Andy Benes298.000$4.8MFREE AGENT$2.9M$6.7M$6.4M
Ron Gant3210.000$4.5M$5.5MFREE AGENT
Ray Lankford307.000$4.5M$4.7M$6.6M$7.6M$5.6MFREE AGENT
Todd Stottlemyre329.000$4.1M$3.4MFREE AGENT
Royce Clayton276.000$2.6M$2.2MFREE AGENT
Mark McGwire3311.000$2.3M$8.9M$9.4M$9.3M$11.0MFREE AGENT
Gary Gaetti3816.000$2.1M$711kFREE AGENT
Tom Pagnozzi3410.000$1.6M$2.1MFREE AGENT
Dennis Eckersley4222.000$1.6MFREE AGENT
Delino DeShields287.000$1.6M$3.0MFREE AGENT
Willie McGee3815.000$1.3M$1.4M$1.0MFREE AGENT
Danny Jackson3514.000$1.1MFREE AGENT
Tony Fossas399.000$750kFREE AGENT
Tom Lampkin339.000$500k$500kFREE AGENT
Rick Honeycutt4320.000$500kFREE AGENT
Fernando Valenzuela3617.000$434kFREE AGENT
Danny Sheaffer3510.000$425kFREE AGENT
Scott Livingstone316.000$388kFREE AGENT
Mark Petkovsek316.000$325k$475kFREE AGENT
Jose Bautista329.000$52kFREE AGENT
Mike Gallego3612.000—FREE AGENT
Phil Plantier287.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (8)

PlayerAgeSvc1997199819992000200120022003
Brian Jordan305.000$3.3MFREE AGENT
Donovan Osborne285.000$2.8MFREE AGENT
John Mabry263.000$390kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lance Painter294.000$375kARB 3FREE AGENT
Roberto Mejia254.000$185kARB 3FREE AGENT
John Frascatore273.000$155kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rich Batchelor304.000$68kARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Scarsone315.000—FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (21)

PlayerAgeSvc1997199819992000200120022003
Alan Benes252.000$240kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
David Bell242.000$170kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dmitri Young231.000$155kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike DiFelice281.000$152kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rigo Beltran270.000$150kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
T.J. Mathews272.000$150kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Morris220.000$150kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Curtis King260.000$150kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scarborough Green230.000$150kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Sweeney272.000$71kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eric Ludwick251.000$70kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Manny Aybar250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jeff Berblinger26–—
Mike Busby241.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Micah Franklin25–—
Mike Gulan26–—
Sean Lowe260.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eli Marrero230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tom McGraw29–—
Luis Ordaz210.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brady Raggio24–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Cardinals 1997; 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.