RRosternomics
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Cardinals STL

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GM: Walt Jocketty

Overview

CONTEND ↘ cooling
expensive & winning · year 3 in this regime · payroll 1.21× league · TAB +8.0
+8.0TAB — talent above budget8th/30
+12.6WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)5th/30
8.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars9th/30
-2.0dead WAR — sub-replacement drag4th/30
15%dead money %8th/30
0.599win %6th/30
44.5roster fWAR8th/30
-7surplus $M (value vs cost)13th/30
$80Mpayroll $M9th/30

2002: made playoffs · 97–65. Ranks are vs the 30 teams that season.

Roster

CFJim Edmonds 139GEli Marrero 36GKerry Robinson 10G
LFAlbert Pujols 117GKerry Robinson 52GEli Marrero 39G
RFJ.D. Drew 119GEli Marrero 46GEduardo Perez 29G
SSEdgar Renteria 149GPlacido Polanco 13GWilson Delgado 8G
2BFernando Viña 150GMiguel Cairo 18GPlacido Polanco 6G
3BScott Rolen 155GAlbert Pujols 41GMiguel Cairo 7G
1BTino Martinez 149GAlbert Pujols 21GEduardo Perez 10G
STARTERSMatt Morris 4.3WARWoody Williams 2.2WARChuck Finley 1.8WARAndy Benes 1.0WARJason Simontacchi 1.0WAR
CMike Matheny 106GMike DiFelice 61GEli Marrero 44G
DHMiguel Cairo 3GAlbert Pujols 2GEduardo Perez 1G
BULLPEN★ Jason Isringhausen 32svSteve Kline 21hRick White 16hDave Veres 15hJeff Fassero 13hMike Crudale 6hGene Stechschulte 6hGabe Molina 2h
CMike Matheny 106 · Mike DiFelice 61 · Eli Marrero 44
1BTino Martinez 149 · Albert Pujols 21 · Eduardo Perez 10
2BFernando Viña 150 · Miguel Cairo 18 · Placido Polanco 6
3BScott Rolen 155 · Albert Pujols 41 · Miguel Cairo 7
SSEdgar Renteria 149 · Placido Polanco 13 · Wilson Delgado 8
LFAlbert Pujols 117 · Kerry Robinson 52 · Eli Marrero 39
CFJim Edmonds 139 · Eli Marrero 36 · Kerry Robinson 10
RFJ.D. Drew 119 · Eli Marrero 46 · Eduardo Perez 29
DHMiguel Cairo 3 · Albert Pujols 2 · Eduardo Perez 1
SPMatt Morris 4.3 · Woody Williams 2.2 · Chuck Finley 1.8 · Andy Benes 1.0 · Jason Simontacchi 1.0
BP★ Jason Isringhausen 32 · Steve Kline 21 · Rick White 16 · Dave Veres 15 · Jeff Fassero 13 · Mike Crudale 6 · Gene Stechschulte 6 · Gabe Molina 2

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.

2002 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Jim Edmonds 32 FA-elig 1446.7 7.3 +4.2
Albert Pujols 22 pre-arb 1575.4 0.6 +8.7
Matt Morris 27 arb 324.3 4.0 +3.5
Edgar Renteria 25 FA-elig 1524.1 6.0 +1.0
Scott Rolen↔ PHI 27 FA-elig 553.0 3.1 +2.0
Jason Isringhausen 29 FA-elig 602.5 2.8 +1.6
Eli Marrero 28 arb 1312.5 0.8 +3.5
Woody Williams 35 FA-elig 182.2 7.3 -3.5
J.D. Drew 26 arb 1351.8 3.1 +0.1
Chuck Finley↔ CLE 39 FA-elig 141.8 3.5 -0.3
Placido Polanco↔ PHI 26 arb 941.6 1.1 +1.6
Tino Martinez 34 FA-elig 1501.3 5.8 -3.5
Mike Matheny 31 FA-elig 1101.0 2.5 -0.7
Eduardo Perez 32 FA-elig 961.0 0.5 +1.3
Mike Crudale 25 – 491.0 – –
Andy Benes 34 FA-elig 191.0 6.4 -4.7
Jason Simontacchi 28 – 251.0 – –
Rick White↔ COL 33 FA-elig 200.7 0.3 +0.9
Steve Kline 29 arb 660.7 1.2 -0.0
Darryl Kile 33 FA-elig 140.6 7.2 -6.1
Fernando Viña 33 FA-elig 1500.5 4.3 -3.4
Bud Smith 22 – 110.5 – –
So Taguchi 32 – 190.4 – –
Mike DiFelice 33 FA-elig 700.2 0.8 -0.3
Garrett Stephenson 30 FA-elig 120.2 0.9 -0.5
Miguel Cairo 28 FA-elig 1080.2 0.6 -0.3
Ivan Cruz 34 – 170.1 – –
Wilson Delgado 29 – 120.1 – –
Kerry Robinson 28 arb 1240.1 0.2 -0.1
Luther Hackman 27 arb 430.0 0.2 -0.2
Mike Coolbaugh 30 – 5-0.0 – –
Josh Pearce 24 – 3-0.0 – –
Jose Rodriguez↔ MIN 27 – 2-0.0 – –
Nerio Rodriguez↔ CLE 31 – 2-0.1 – –
Matt Duff 27 – 7-0.1 – –
Mike Timlin↔ PHI 36 FA-elig 42-0.1 3.1 -3.2
Gabe Molina 27 – 12-0.1 – –
Mike Matthews↔ MIL 28 pre-arb 43-0.1 0.3 -0.5
Travis Smith 29 – 12-0.2 – –
Kevin Joseph 25 – 11-0.2 – –
Jamey Wright↔ MIL 27 FA-elig 4-0.2 0.7 -1.1
Gene Stechschulte 28 pre-arb 29-0.3 0.3 -0.8
Dave Veres 35 FA-elig 71-0.3 4.2 -4.8
Jeff Fassero↔ CHC 39 FA-elig 16-0.3 0.6 -1.2

Key additions (new vs 2001)

PlayerfWAR
Scott Rolen3.0
Jason Isringhausen2.5
Chuck Finley1.8
Tino Martinez1.3
Eduardo Perez1.0
Mike Crudale1.0

Key subtractions (gone from 2001)

Player2001 fWAR
Craig Paquette1.1
Ray Lankford0.6
Mark McGwire0.6
Dustin Hermanson0.1
T.J. Mathews0.1
Luis Saturria-0.0

Current & Historical Payroll

2002 payroll
$79.6M

What the front office was committed to as of 2002, 2002–2008. 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)

PlayerAgeSvc2002200320042005200620072008
Jim Edmonds329.000$7.3M$8.3M$9.3M$10.3M$12.1M$9.6MFREE AGENT
Woody Williams359.000$7.3M$6.0M$8.0MFREE AGENT
Darryl Kile3311.000$7.2MFREE AGENT
Andy Benes3413.000$6.4MFREE AGENT
Edgar Renteria256.000$6.0M$6.5M$7.2MFREE AGENT
Tino Martinez3412.000$5.8M$7.5MFREE AGENT
Fernando Viña339.000$4.3M$5.3MFREE AGENT
Dave Veres358.000$4.2MFREE AGENT
Chuck Finley3916.000$3.5MFREE AGENT
Mike Timlin3611.000$3.1MFREE AGENT
Scott Rolen276.000$3.1M$7.6M$8.6M$11.6M$12.5M$12.3MFREE AGENT
Jason Isringhausen297.000$2.8M$7.2M$7.8M$7.0M$8.8M$8.8M$8.0M
Mike Matheny318.000$2.5M$3.2M$4.0MFREE AGENT
Garrett Stephenson306.000$900k$800kFREE AGENT
Mike DiFelice336.000$750kFREE AGENT
Jamey Wright276.000$739kFREE AGENT
Jeff Fassero3911.000$614k$1.2MFREE AGENT
Miguel Cairo286.000$600k$850kFREE AGENT$494k
Eduardo Perez329.000$450k$500kFREE AGENT
Rick White338.000$328kFREE AGENT
Wilson Delgado296.000—$212kFREE AGENT
Nerio Rodriguez316.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (9)

PlayerAgeSvc2002200320042005200620072008
Matt Morris275.000$4.0MFREE AGENT
J.D. Drew264.000$3.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Kline295.000$1.2MFREE AGENT
Placido Polanco264.000$1.1MARB 3FREE AGENT
Eli Marrero285.000$850kFREE AGENT
Kerry Robinson284.000$250kARB 3FREE AGENT
Luther Hackman273.000$245kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ivan Cruz345.000—FREE AGENT
Travis Smith294.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (13)

PlayerAgeSvc2002200320042005200620072008
Albert Pujols221.000$600kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Matthews282.000$274kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gene Stechschulte282.000$265kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gabe Molina27–—
Mike Coolbaugh30–—
Kevin Joseph25–—
Jose Rodriguez27–—
Bud Smith22–—
Mike Crudale25–—
Josh Pearce24–—
So Taguchi320.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Simontacchi280.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Duff27–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Cardinals 2002; 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.