RRosternomics
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Cardinals STL

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GM: Walt Jocketty

Overview

CONTEND ↗ rising
expensive & winning · year 1 in this regime · payroll 1.21× league · TAB +9.6
+9.6TAB — talent above budget4th/30
+10.5WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)4th/30
11.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars1st/30
-3.3dead WAR — sub-replacement drag9th/30
16%dead money %6th/30
0.586win %2nd/30
46.2roster fWAR4th/30
-1surplus $M (value vs cost)12th/30
$66Mpayroll $M9th/30

2000: made playoffs · 95–67. Ranks are vs the 30 teams that season.

Roster

CFJim Edmonds 146GJ.D. Drew 26GShawon Dunston 9G
LFRay Lankford 116GShawon Dunston 41GJ.D. Drew 24G
RFJ.D. Drew 98GEric Davis 69GThomas Howard 22G
SSEdgar Renteria 149GPlacido Polanco 29GShawon Dunston 8G
2BFernando Viña 122GPlacido Polanco 51GCraig Paquette 13G
3BFernando Tatis 91GCraig Paquette 86GPlacido Polanco 35G
1BWill Clark 122GMark McGwire 70GCraig Paquette 28G
STARTERSDarryl Kile 4.4WARRick Ankiel 3.4WARPat Hentgen 2.1WARGarrett Stephenson 1.7WARAndy Benes 1.4WAR
CMike Matheny 124GCarlos Hernandez 70GEli Marrero 38G
DHThomas Howard 3GEric Davis 2GFernando Tatis 2G
BULLPEN★ Dave Veres 29svJason Christiansen 21hMike James 12hMatt Morris 6hMike Timlin 5hGene Stechschulte 3hAlan Benes 2hMark Thompson 1h
CMike Matheny 124 · Carlos Hernandez 70 · Eli Marrero 38
1BWill Clark 122 · Mark McGwire 70 · Craig Paquette 28
2BFernando Viña 122 · Placido Polanco 51 · Craig Paquette 13
3BFernando Tatis 91 · Craig Paquette 86 · Placido Polanco 35
SSEdgar Renteria 149 · Placido Polanco 29 · Shawon Dunston 8
LFRay Lankford 116 · Shawon Dunston 41 · J.D. Drew 24
CFJim Edmonds 146 · J.D. Drew 26 · Shawon Dunston 9
RFJ.D. Drew 98 · Eric Davis 69 · Thomas Howard 22
DHThomas Howard 3 · Eric Davis 2 · Fernando Tatis 2
SPDarryl Kile 4.4 · Rick Ankiel 3.4 · Pat Hentgen 2.1 · Garrett Stephenson 1.7 · Andy Benes 1.4
BP★ Dave Veres 29 · Jason Christiansen 21 · Mike James 12 · Matt Morris 6 · Mike Timlin 5 · Gene Stechschulte 3 · Alan Benes 2 · Mark Thompson 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.

2000 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Jim Edmonds 30 FA-elig 1526.5 4.5 +4.7
Mark McGwire 36 FA-elig 894.6 9.3 -2.8
Darryl Kile 31 FA-elig 344.4 7.4 -1.2
J.D. Drew 24 pre-arb 1353.8 1.8 +3.6
Rick Ankiel 20 pre-arb 353.4 0.2 +4.6
Fernando Viña 31 FA-elig 1233.1 2.3 +2.1
Mike Matheny 29 FA-elig 1282.3 0.8 +2.6
Will Clark↔ BAL 36 FA-elig 512.2 2.4 +0.7
Pat Hentgen 31 FA-elig 332.1 6.0 -3.1
Edgar Renteria 23 arb 1502.0 2.2 +0.6
Placido Polanco 24 pre-arb 1182.0 0.2 +2.7
Fernando Tatis 25 arb 961.8 0.8 +1.8
Garrett Stephenson 28 arb 321.7 0.6 +1.8
Dave Veres 33 FA-elig 711.5 1.4 +0.7
Ray Lankford 33 FA-elig 1281.4 7.6 -5.6
Andy Benes 32 FA-elig 301.4 2.9 -0.9
Eric Davis 38 FA-elig 921.3 4.4 -2.6
Matt Morris 25 arb 321.0 0.6 +0.8
Eli Marrero 26 arb 530.6 0.2 +0.7
Britt Reames 26 – 100.5 – –
Eduardo Perez 30 – 350.5 – –
Shawon Dunston 37 FA-elig 980.5 0.6 +0.0
Keith McDonald 27 – 60.3 – –
Jason Christiansen↔ PIT 30 arb 210.3 0.3 +0.1
Mike Timlin↔ BAL 34 FA-elig 250.2 1.7 -1.4
Mike James 32 – 520.1 – –
Carlos Hernandez↔ SDP 33 FA-elig 170.1 0.4 -0.3
Justin Brunette 24 – 40.0 – –
Larry Sutton 30 – 230.0 – –
Rick Wilkins 33 – 40.0 – –
Scott Radinsky 32 FA-elig 10.0 2.5 -2.5
Jose Rodriguez 25 – 6-0.0 – –
Luther Hackman 25 – 1-0.1 – –
Mike Mohler↔ CLE 31 FA-elig 22-0.1 0.6 -0.7
Alan Benes 28 – 30-0.1 – –
Luis Saturria 23 – 12-0.1 – –
Darren Holmes↔ ARI 34 FA-elig 5-0.1 0.5 -0.7
Chris Richard↔ BAL 26 pre-arb 6-0.1 0.0 -0.2
David Wainhouse 32 FA-elig 9-0.1 0.2 -0.4
Mike Matthews 26 – 14-0.2 – –
Mark Thompson 29 FA-elig 20-0.2 0.4 -0.7
Jesse Orosco 43 FA-elig 6-0.2 1.1 -1.4
Heathcliff Slocumb↔ SDP 34 FA-elig 44-0.3 1.1 -1.5
Craig Paquette 31 FA-elig 134-0.4 0.6 -1.1
Gene Stechschulte 26 – 20-0.5 – –
Thomas Howard 35 FA-elig 86-0.8 0.7 -1.8

Key additions (new vs 1999)

PlayerfWAR
Jim Edmonds6.5
Darryl Kile4.4
Fernando Viña3.1
Mike Matheny2.3
Will Clark2.2
Pat Hentgen2.1

Key subtractions (gone from 1999)

Player1999 fWAR
Darren Oliver4.1
Kent Bottenfield2.2
Jose Jimenez2.0
Joe McEwing1.7
Darren Bragg1.1
Alberto Castillo1.1

Current & Historical Payroll

2000 payroll
$66.2M

What the front office was committed to as of 2000, 2000–2006. 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 (25)

PlayerAgeSvc2000200120022003200420052006
Mark McGwire3614.000$9.3M$11.0MFREE AGENT
Ray Lankford3310.000$7.6M$5.6MFREE AGENT$650k
Darryl Kile319.000$7.4M$6.7M$7.2MFREE AGENT
Pat Hentgen319.000$6.0MFREE AGENT
Jim Edmonds307.000$4.5M$6.3M$7.3M$8.3M$9.3M$10.3M$12.1M
Eric Davis3816.000$4.4MFREE AGENT
Andy Benes3211.000$2.9M$6.7M$6.4MFREE AGENT
Scott Radinsky3210.000$2.5MFREE AGENT
Will Clark3614.000$2.4MFREE AGENT
Fernando Viña317.000$2.3M$4.3M$4.3M$5.3MFREE AGENT
Mike Timlin349.000$1.7M$4.2M$3.1MFREE AGENT
Dave Veres336.000$1.4M$1.9M$4.2MFREE AGENT
Jesse Orosco4321.000$1.1MFREE AGENT
Heathcliff Slocumb349.000$1.1MFREE AGENT
Mike Matheny296.000$750k$900k$2.5M$3.2M$4.0MFREE AGENT
Thomas Howard3510.000$650kFREE AGENT
Mike Mohler317.000$632kFREE AGENT
Shawon Dunston3715.000$600kFREE AGENT
Craig Paquette317.000$595k$1.5MFREE AGENT
Darren Holmes3410.000$532kFREE AGENT
Mark Thompson296.000$400kFREE AGENT
Carlos Hernandez3310.000$397kFREE AGENT
David Wainhouse329.000$250kFREE AGENT
Eduardo Perez307.000—FREE AGENT$450k$500k
Rick Wilkins339.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (9)

PlayerAgeSvc2000200120022003200420052006
Edgar Renteria234.000$2.2MARB 3FREE AGENT
Fernando Tatis253.000$750kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Morris253.000$550kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Garrett Stephenson284.000$550kARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Christiansen305.000$323kFREE AGENT
Eli Marrero263.000$240kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alan Benes285.000—FREE AGENT
Mike James325.000—FREE AGENT
Larry Sutton303.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (12)

PlayerAgeSvc2000200120022003200420052006
J.D. Drew242.000$1.8MARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Placido Polanco242.000$220kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick Ankiel201.000$202kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Richard260.000$19kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Matthews260.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Keith McDonald27–—
Luis Saturria23–—
Luther Hackman251.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Justin Brunette24–—
Gene Stechschulte260.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Rodriguez25–—
Britt Reames260.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Cardinals 2000; 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.