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Cardinals STL

199975–86 (0.466)
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GM: Walt Jocketty

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1999, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$50M
Surplus $M
-10
Win %
0.466
TAB
-3.0
WAB
-6.7
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
31.2
Dead money %
38%
Depth Players
6.0
Dead WAR
-6.0

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1999 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

REli Marrero96
RAlberto Castillo91
BMarcus Jensen14

1B

RMark McGwire151
REli Marrero20
BDavid Howard9
RShawon Dunston⇄8
RCraig Paquette6
REduardo Perez5
BWillie McGee3
RJoe McEwing2

2B

RJoe McEwing96
RPlacido Polanco66
LAdam Kennedy29
BDavid Howard9
RCraig Paquette7
RLuis Ordaz1

3B

RFernando Tatis147
RCraig Paquette10
RPlacido Polanco9
RJoe McEwing6
BDavid Howard4
RLuis Ordaz1

SS

REdgar Renteria151
BDavid Howard13
RPlacido Polanco9
RLuis Ordaz8
RShawon Dunston⇄7
RJoe McEwing1

LF

LRay Lankford105
RJoe McEwing32
BWillie McGee30
LDarren Bragg22
REduardo Perez6
RCraig Paquette3
BDavid Howard3
BThomas Howard3
LJ.D. Drew1

CF

LJ.D. Drew97
LDarren Bragg43
RJoe McEwing23
BWillie McGee19
REric Davis3
LRay Lankford2
BDavid Howard1

RF

REric Davis50
BThomas Howard45
BWillie McGee43
LDarren Bragg33
RCraig Paquette25
RJoe McEwing19
BDavid Howard1

DH

REric Davis2
RShawon Dunston⇄2
LRay Lankford1
BThomas Howard1

Starters

LDarren Oliver4.1 WAR
RKent Bottenfield2.2 WAR
RJose Jimenez2.0 WAR
LRick Ankiel0.9 WAR
LLance Painter0.9 WAR
RGarrett Stephenson0.8 WAR
RMark Thompson0.5 WAR
LKent Mercker⇄0.5 WAR
RManny Aybar0.3 WAR
LDonovan Osborne0.3 WAR
RLarry Luebbers-0.0 WAR
RClint Sodowsky-0.1 WAR
RJuan Acevedo-0.5 WAR

Bullpen

★ RRicky Bottalico20 sv
RRich Croushore14 h
RManny Aybar11 h
LScott Radinsky11 h
LLance Painter9 h
LMike Mohler6 h
RHeathcliff Slocumb⇄5 h
RMike Busby4 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 1998)

PlayerfWAR
Edgar Renteria1.2
Darren Bragg1.1
Alberto Castillo1.1
Rick Ankiel0.9
Garrett Stephenson0.8
Craig Paquette0.8

Key subtractions (gone from 1998)

Player1998 fWAR
Brian Jordan6.9
Todd Stottlemyre3.1
Delino DeShields2.1
Matt Morris2.1
Ron Gant1.9
Gary Gaetti1.6

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 1999; everyone else is shown as a 1999 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Darren Oliver 1999 +4.1 +71.2 3.5 +67.6 $0.9M 2.19× –
Mark McGwire 1999 +6.0 +66.3 9.4 +56.9 $1.5M 1.37× –
Ray Lankford 1999 +3.8 +54.7 6.6 +48.1 $1.7M 1.79× –
Fernando Tatis 1999 +3.2 +28.9 0.3 +28.7 $0.1M 1.12× –
Kent Bottenfield 1999 +2.2 +26.2 0.8 +25.3 $0.4M 1.49× –
Jose Jimenez 1999 +2.0 +23.3 0.2 +23.1 $0.1M 1.49× –
J.D. Drew 1999 +2.5 +24.3 1.8 +22.5 $0.7M 1.22× –
Joe McEwing 1999 +1.7 +10.9 0.2 +10.7 $0.1M 0.82× –
Rick Croushore 1999 +0.8 +8.3 0.2 +8.1 $0.3M 1.34× –
Rick Ankiel 1999 +0.9 +7.0 0.2 +6.8 $0.2M 1.02× –
Darren Bragg 1999 +1.1 +7.3 0.8 +6.5 $0.7M 0.83× –
Garrett Stephenson 1999 +0.8 +6.4 0.2 +6.2 $0.3M 1.02× –
Craig Paquette 1999 +0.8 +5.1 0.3 +4.8 $0.4M 0.83× –
Alberto Castillo 1999 +1.1 +4.5 0.2 +4.2 $0.2M 0.52× –
Edgar Renteria 1999 +1.2 +5.9 2.0 +3.9 $1.7M 0.61× –
Lance Painter 1999 +0.9 +4.6 0.8 +3.8 $0.9M 0.67× –
Manny Aybar 1999 +0.3 +3.4 0.2 +3.2 $0.7M 1.34× –
Heathcliff Slocumb↔ 1999 +0.7 +3.8 0.9 +3.0 $1.2M 0.67× –
Thomas Howard 1999 +0.4 +2.8 0.3 +2.5 $0.8M 0.83× –
Kent Mercker↔ 1999 +0.5 +4.3 2.1 +2.2 $3.9M 1.02× –
Mike Mohler 1999 +0.4 +2.0 0.5 +1.5 $1.3M 0.67× –
Shawon Dunston↔ 1999 +0.2 +0.9 0.4 +0.5 $1.8M 0.56× –
Curtis King 1999 +0.0 +0.2 0.2 -0.1 $7.3M 0.67× –
Alan Benes 1999 +0.0 +0.2 0.6 -0.3 $13.1M 0.67× –
Larry Luebbers 1999 -0.0 -0.2 0.2 -0.5 – 1.02× –
Luis Ordaz 1999 -0.1 -0.5 0.2 -0.7 – 0.61× –
Mike Busby 1999 -0.2 -1.2 0.2 -1.5 – 0.67× –
Adam Kennedy 1999 -0.3 -1.4 0.2 -1.6 – 0.56× –
Ricky Bottalico 1999 +0.1 +0.6 2.3 -1.7 $40.6M 1.34× –
David Howard 1999 -0.2 -0.9 0.9 -1.8 – 0.61× –
Scott Radinsky 1999 +0.0 +0.1 2.5 -2.4 $101.4M 0.67× –
Donovan Osborne 1999 +0.3 +2.6 5.1 -2.5 $15.8M 1.02× –
Eric Davis 1999 +0.1 +0.7 3.4 -2.7 $32.5M 0.83× –
Eli Marrero 1999 -0.9 -3.7 0.2 -3.9 – 0.52× –
Juan Acevedo 1999 -0.5 -5.5 0.5 -6.0 – 1.34× –
Willie McGee 1999 -2.6 -17.2 1.0 -18.2 – 0.83× –
Clint Sodowsky 1999 -0.1 -0.7 – – – 0.67× –
Eduardo Perez 1999 +0.5 +3.0 – – – 0.83× –
Marcus Jensen 1999 +0.2 +0.8 – – – 0.52× –
Mark Thompson 1999 +0.5 +3.7 – – – 1.02× –
Placido Polanco 1999 -0.7 -3.3 – – – 0.56× –
Rick Heiserman 1999 -0.3 -1.4 – – – 0.67× –
Total—+31.4+348.049.4+296.2—

Trades

Every graded 1999 deal involving the Cardinals — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 8 total.

1999 · STL / TOR
STL · Walt Jocketty +$17.6M
Pat Hentgen, Paul Spoljaric
TOR · Gord Ash −$17.6M
Alberto Castillo, Matt DeWitt, Lance Painter
STL came out ahead by $17.6M
1999 · STL / ARI
STL · Walt Jocketty +$0.0M
Dante Powell
ARI · Joe Garagiola +$0.0M
Luis Ordaz
Even trade
1999 · CHW / STL
CHW · Ron Schueler +$8.8M
Sean Lowe
STL · Walt Jocketty −$8.8M
John Ambrose
CHW came out ahead by $8.8M
1999 · STL / ARI
STL · Walt Jocketty +$0.8M
Clint Sodowsky
ARI · Joe Garagiola −$0.8M
John Frascatore
STL came out ahead by $0.8M
1999 · STL / NYM
STL · Walt Jocketty +$0.0M
Craig Paquette
NYM · Steve Phillips +$0.0M
Shawon Dunston
Even trade
1999 · STL / BOS
STL · Walt Jocketty +$3.2M
Mike Matthews, Dave Benham
BOS · Dan Duquette −$3.2M
Kent Mercker
STL came out ahead by $3.2M
1999 · STL / MIL
STL · Walt Jocketty +$0.8M
Fernando Viña
MIL · Sal Bando −$0.8M
Juan Acevedo, Eliézer Alfonzo, Matt Parker
STL came out ahead by $0.8M
1999 · STL / COL
STL · Walt Jocketty +$72.8M
Darryl Kile, Luther Hackman, Dave Veres
COL · Gary Hughes −$72.8M
Manny Aybar, Brent Butler, Rich Croushore, José Jiménez
STL came out ahead by $72.8M

Current & Historical Payroll

1999 payroll
$49.5M

What the front office was committed to as of 1999, 1999–2005. 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)

PlayerAgeSvc1999200020012002200320042005
Mark McGwire3513.000$9.4M$9.3M$11.0MFREE AGENT
Ray Lankford329.000$6.6M$7.6M$5.6MFREE AGENT$650k
Donovan Osborne307.000$5.1MFREE AGENT
Darren Oliver286.000$3.5MFREE AGENT
Eric Davis3715.000$3.4M$4.4MFREE AGENT
Scott Radinsky319.000$2.5M$2.5MFREE AGENT
Kent Mercker3110.000$2.1MFREE AGENT
Willie McGee4017.000$1.0MFREE AGENT
David Howard328.000$950kFREE AGENT
Heathcliff Slocumb338.000$880k$1.1MFREE AGENT
Kent Bottenfield307.000$850kFREE AGENT
Lance Painter316.000$800kFREE AGENT$575k
Mike Mohler306.000$490k$632kFREE AGENT
Shawon Dunston3614.000$364k$600kFREE AGENT
Thomas Howard349.000$325k$650kFREE AGENT
Craig Paquette306.000$300k$595k$1.5MFREE AGENT
Larry Luebbers296.000$212kFREE AGENT
Eduardo Perez296.000—FREE AGENT$450k$500k

Arbitration-eligible (11)

PlayerAgeSvc1999200020012002200320042005
Ricky Bottalico295.000$2.3MFREE AGENT
Edgar Renteria223.000$2.0MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Darren Bragg295.000$800kFREE AGENT
Alan Benes274.000$550kARB 3FREE AGENT
Juan Acevedo294.000$475kARB 3FREE AGENT
Alberto Castillo294.000$225kARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Busby263.000$220kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Garrett Stephenson273.000$215kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Marcus Jensen263.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Clint Sodowsky264.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Thompson285.000—FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (13)

PlayerAgeSvc1999200020012002200320042005
J.D. Drew231.000$1.8MPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Fernando Tatis242.000$270kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Manny Aybar272.000$210kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Curtis King282.000$210kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Eli Marrero252.000$210kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Luis Ordaz232.000$210kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick Croushore281.000$205kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joe McEwing261.000$200kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick Ankiel190.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Jimenez251.000$200kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Adam Kennedy230.000$200kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Placido Polanco231.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick Heiserman26–—

Graphs

How each 1999 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).
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