RRosternomics
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Rangers TEX

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President of baseball ops: Jon Daniels

Overview

WINDOW ↗ rising
cheap & winning · year 1 in this regime · payroll 0.78× league · TAB +2.0
+2.0TAB — talent above budget12th/30
+0.4WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)16th/30
6.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars16th/30
-5.3dead WAR — sub-replacement drag18th/30
40%dead money %19th/30
0.488win %18th/30
33.2roster fWAR16th/30
-2surplus $M (value vs cost)10th/30
$68Mpayroll $M20th/30

Roster

CFJosh Hamilton 111GMarlon Byrd 57GDavid Murphy 13G
LFBrandon Boggs 76GDavid Murphy 54GMarlon Byrd 31G
RFDavid Murphy 56GMarlon Byrd 39GJosh Hamilton 34G
SSMichael Young 151GRamón Vázquez 26GGerman Duran 2G
2BIan Kinsler 121GJoaquin Arias 30GGerman Duran 17G
3BRamón Vázquez 70GChris Davis 32GHank Blalock 31G
1BChris Davis 51GChris Shelton 39GHank Blalock 34G
STARTERSKevin Millwood 3.2WARVicente Padilla 1.3WARScott Feldman 0.6WARMatt Harrison 0.5WARLuis Mendoza 0.3WAR
CGerald Laird 88GJarrod Saltalamacchia 54GMax Ramirez 12G
DHMilton Bradley 98GFrank Catalanotto 23GJosh Hamilton 15G
BULLPEN★ C.J. Wilson 24svJamey Wright 17hJoaquín Benoit 13hFrank Francisco 12hWarner Madrigal 3hJosh Rupe 2hKameron Loe 2hFranklyn German 0h
CGerald Laird 88 · Jarrod Saltalamacchia 54 · Max Ramirez 12
1BChris Davis 51 · Chris Shelton 39 · Hank Blalock 34
2BIan Kinsler 121 · Joaquin Arias 30 · German Duran 17
3BRamón Vázquez 70 · Chris Davis 32 · Hank Blalock 31
SSMichael Young 151 · Ramón Vázquez 26 · German Duran 2
LFBrandon Boggs 76 · David Murphy 54 · Marlon Byrd 31
CFJosh Hamilton 111 · Marlon Byrd 57 · David Murphy 13
RFDavid Murphy 56 · Marlon Byrd 39 · Josh Hamilton 34
DHMilton Bradley 98 · Frank Catalanotto 23 · Josh Hamilton 15
SPKevin Millwood 3.2 · Vicente Padilla 1.3 · Scott Feldman 0.6 · Matt Harrison 0.5 · Luis Mendoza 0.3
BP★ C.J. Wilson 24 · Jamey Wright 17 · Joaquín Benoit 13 · Frank Francisco 12 · Warner Madrigal 3 · Josh Rupe 2 · Kameron Loe 2 · Franklyn German 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.

2008 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Ian Kinsler 26 pre-arb 1214.8 0.7 +10.3
Josh Hamilton 27 pre-arb 1564.3 0.4 +9.3
Milton Bradley 30 FA-elig 1264.3 5.2 +4.4
Kevin Millwood 33 FA-elig 293.2 10.4 -3.0
Marlon Byrd 30 FA-elig 1223.1 1.8 +5.3
Michael Young 31 FA-elig 1552.4 6.2 -0.8
David Murphy 26 pre-arb 1081.8 0.4 +3.7
Nelson Cruz 27 – 311.8 0.1 +4.0
Frank Francisco 28 – 581.5 – –
Vicente Padilla 30 FA-elig 291.3 11.0 -7.9
Sidney Ponson↔ NYY 31 – 91.0 – –
Taylor Teagarden 24 – 161.0 – –
Brandon Boggs 25 – 1011.0 – –
Ramón Vázquez 31 FA-elig 1050.9 0.8 +1.3
Chris Davis 22 – 800.8 0.2 +1.7
Eddie Guardado↔ MIN 37 FA-elig 550.7 1.7 -0.2
Jamey Wright 33 FA-elig 750.6 1.0 +0.4
Scott Feldman 25 – 280.6 0.4 +0.9
Matt Harrison 22 – 150.5 0.4 +0.8
Hank Blalock 27 FA-elig 650.4 6.0 -5.2
Kameron Loe 26 – 140.3 – –
Franklyn German 28 FA-elig 170.3 0.4 +0.4
Dustin Nippert 27 arb 200.3 0.4 +0.3
Luis Mendoza 24 pre-arb 250.3 0.4 +0.3
A.J. Murray 26 – 20.3 – –
Kason Gabbard 26 pre-arb 120.2 0.4 +0.2
Warner Madrigal 24 – 310.2 – –
Brandon McCarthy 24 arb 50.1 0.4 -0.1
Wes Littleton 25 – 120.1 – –
Max Ramirez 23 – 170.1 – –
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 23 – 610.1 0.4 -0.2
Brian Gordon 29 – 30.1 – –
Joaquin Arias 23 – 320.0 – –
Adam Melhuse↔ COL 36 FA-elig 80.0 0.4 -0.3
Eric Hurley 22 – 50.0 – –
Chris Shelton 28 – 410.0 – –
Joselo Diaz 28 – 1-0.0 – –
Jason Ellison 30 – 9-0.0 – –
Ryan Roberts 27 – 1-0.0 – –
Doug Mathis 25 – 8-0.1 – –
Robinson Tejeda↔ KCR 26 – 4-0.1 – –
Tommy Hunter 21 – 3-0.1 0.1 -0.4
Elizardo Ramirez 25 – 1-0.2 – –
Travis Metcalf 25 pre-arb 23-0.2 0.4 -0.8
Joaquín Benoit 30 FA-elig 44-0.2 2.2 -2.6
Jason Botts 27 arb 15-0.2 0.4 -0.8
Kazuo Fukumori 31 pre-arb 4-0.2 1.4 -1.9
Josh Rupe 25 arb 46-0.2 0.4 -0.9
Bill White 29 – 8-0.3 – –
Frank Catalanotto 34 FA-elig 88-0.3 4.0 -4.7
Gerald Laird 28 arb 95-0.4 1.6 -2.6
C.J. Wilson 27 arb 50-0.5 0.4 -1.7
Jason Jennings 29 FA-elig 6-0.5 4.0 -5.2
German Duran 23 – 60-0.8 – –
Ben Broussard 31 FA-elig 26-0.9 3.9 -6.0

Key additions (new vs 2007)

PlayerfWAR
Josh Hamilton4.3
Milton Bradley4.3
Sidney Ponson1.0
Taylor Teagarden1.0
Brandon Boggs1.0
Chris Davis0.8

Key subtractions (gone from 2007)

Player2007 fWAR
Kenny Lofton2.4
Mark Teixeira2.1
Akinori Otsuka1.0
Brad Wilkerson0.8
Eric Gagne0.6
Edinson Volquez0.5

Current & Historical Payroll

2008 payroll
$68.3M

What the front office was committed to as of 2008, 2008–2014. 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 (16)

PlayerAgeSvc2008200920102011201220132014
Vicente Padilla309.000$11.0M$8.3MFREE AGENT
Kevin Millwood3311.000$10.4M$12.9MFREE AGENT
Michael Young318.000$6.2M$13.1M$13.2M$16.2M$16.0MFREE AGENT
Hank Blalock276.000$6.0M$6.2MFREE AGENT
Milton Bradley308.000$5.2MFREE AGENT
Frank Catalanotto3411.000$4.0MFREE AGENT
Jason Jennings297.000$4.0M$800kFREE AGENT
Ben Broussard316.000$3.9MFREE AGENT
Joaquín Benoit307.000$2.2MFREE AGENT
Marlon Byrd306.000$1.8M$3.1MFREE AGENT
Eddie Guardado3715.000$1.7M$1.0MFREE AGENT
Jamey Wright3312.000$1.0MFREE AGENT
Ramón Vázquez317.000$810kFREE AGENT
Adam Melhuse368.000$400kFREE AGENT
Franklyn German286.000$390kFREE AGENT
Sidney Ponson3110.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (14)

PlayerAgeSvc2008200920102011201220132014
Gerald Laird285.000$1.6MFREE AGENT
C.J. Wilson273.000$417kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brandon McCarthy243.000$405kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Feldman253.000$397kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dustin Nippert273.000$396kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Botts273.000$394kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Josh Rupe253.000$392kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nelson Cruz273.000$65kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Frank Francisco284.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jason Ellison305.000—FREE AGENT
Elizardo Ramirez254.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Shelton284.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kameron Loe264.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT
Robinson Tejeda263.000—ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (25)

PlayerAgeSvc2008200920102011201220132014
Kazuo Fukumori310.000$1.4MPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ian Kinsler262.000$700kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Josh Hamilton271.000$397kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jarrod Saltalamacchia231.000$397kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kason Gabbard262.000$396kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
David Murphy262.000$393kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Travis Metcalf251.000$392kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Luis Mendoza241.000$391kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Matt Harrison220.000$390kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Davis220.000$198kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tommy Hunter210.000$117kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joselo Diaz28–—
Brian Gordon29–—
Joaquin Arias232.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan Roberts272.000—ARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Warner Madrigal240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Max Ramirez230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bill White29–—
Doug Mathis250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
A.J. Murray26–—
Wes Littleton25–—
Eric Hurley22–—
German Duran23–—
Taylor Teagarden240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brandon Boggs250.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Rangers 2008; 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.