RRosternomics
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Nationals WSN

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GM: Jim Beattie

Overview

WINDOW → steady
cheap & winning · year 7 in this regime · payroll 0.49× league · TAB +7.0
+7.0TAB — talent above budget4th/28
+5.3WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)10th/28
6.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars13th/28
-5.3dead WAR — sub-replacement drag17th/28
29%dead money %17th/28
0.481win %17th/28
32.5roster fWAR14th/28
+14surplus $M (value vs cost)2nd/28
$19Mpayroll $M26th/28

Roster

CFRondell White 151GF.P. Santangelo 13GRyan McGuire 2G
LFHenry Rodriguez 126GF.P. Santangelo 40GJoe Orsulak 37G
RFVladimir Guerrero 84GF.P. Santangelo 51GJoe Orsulak 26G
SSMark Grudzielanek 156GAndy Stankiewicz 14GOrlando Cabrera 6G
2BMike Lansing 144GAndy Stankiewicz 25GF.P. Santangelo 7G
3BDoug Strange 105GJose Vidro 36GF.P. Santangelo 32G
1BDavid Segui 125GRyan McGuire 30GJoe Orsulak 15G
STARTERSPedro Martínez 8.4WARCarlos Perez 2.9WARDustin Hermanson 2.2WARMarc Valdes 0.9WARJim Bullinger 0.5WAR
CChris Widger 85GDarrin Fletcher 83GRaúl Chávez 13G
DHJose Vidro 5GRyan McGuire 3GSherman Obando 1G
BULLPEN★ Ugueth Urbina 27svAnthony Telford 0hDave Veres 0hSteve Kline 0hLee Smith 0hRick DeHart 0hShayne Bennett 0hSalomon Torres 0h
CChris Widger 85 · Darrin Fletcher 83 · Raúl Chávez 13
1BDavid Segui 125 · Ryan McGuire 30 · Joe Orsulak 15
2BMike Lansing 144 · Andy Stankiewicz 25 · F.P. Santangelo 7
3BDoug Strange 105 · Jose Vidro 36 · F.P. Santangelo 32
SSMark Grudzielanek 156 · Andy Stankiewicz 14 · Orlando Cabrera 6
LFHenry Rodriguez 126 · F.P. Santangelo 40 · Joe Orsulak 37
CFRondell White 151 · F.P. Santangelo 13 · Ryan McGuire 2
RFVladimir Guerrero 84 · F.P. Santangelo 51 · Joe Orsulak 26
DHJose Vidro 5 · Ryan McGuire 3 · Sherman Obando 1
SPPedro Martínez 8.4 · Carlos Perez 2.9 · Dustin Hermanson 2.2 · Marc Valdes 0.9 · Jim Bullinger 0.5
BP★ Ugueth Urbina 27 · Anthony Telford 0 · Dave Veres 0 · Steve Kline 0 · Lee Smith 0 · Rick DeHart 0 · Shayne Bennett 0 · Salomon Torres 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
Pedro Martínez 25 arb 318.4 3.6 +5.0
Rondell White 25 arb 1514.7 0.5 +4.4
Mike Lansing 29 arb 1443.8 2.7 +1.2
Carlos Perez 26 pre-arb 332.9 0.2 +2.7
David Segui 30 FA-elig 1252.3 1.6 +0.8
Dustin Hermanson 24 pre-arb 322.2 0.2 +2.1
F.P. Santangelo 29 pre-arb 1301.7 0.2 +1.6
Mark Grudzielanek 27 pre-arb 1561.6 0.2 +1.4
Vladimir Guerrero 22 pre-arb 901.5 0.1 +1.4
Darrin Fletcher 30 FA-elig 961.5 1.4 +0.2
Henry Rodriguez 29 arb 1321.5 2.3 -0.8
Doug Strange 33 FA-elig 1181.4 0.2 +1.2
Marc Valdes 25 pre-arb 480.9 0.2 +0.8
Jeff Juden↔ CLE 26 FA-elig 220.9 0.1 +0.8
Ugueth Urbina 23 pre-arb 630.7 0.2 +0.6
Jim Bullinger 31 arb 360.5 0.5 -0.0
Ryan McGuire 25 pre-arb 840.4 0.1 +0.2
Dave Veres 30 arb 530.4 0.7 -0.4
Brad Fullmer 22 – 190.2 – –
Hensley Meulens 30 – 160.1 – –
Lee Smith 39 FA-elig 250.1 0.4 -0.3
Shane Andrews 25 pre-arb 180.0 0.2 -0.2
Steve Falteisek 25 – 5-0.0 – –
Shayne Bennett 25 pre-arb 16-0.0 0.1 -0.2
Orlando Cabrera 22 – 16-0.1 – –
Raul Chavez 24 – 13-0.1 – –
Joe Orsulak 35 FA-elig 106-0.1 0.7 -0.7
Mike Johnson↔ BAL 21 pre-arb 11-0.1 0.1 -0.2
Mike Thurman 23 – 5-0.1 – –
Everett Stull 25 – 3-0.1 – –
Rheal Cormier 30 FA-elig 1-0.1 1.1 -1.2
Steve Kline↔ CLE 24 pre-arb 26-0.1 0.1 -0.2
Anthony Telford 31 FA-elig 65-0.2 0.1 -0.3
Salomon Torres↔ SEA 25 arb 12-0.2 0.1 -0.4
Sherman Obando 27 arb 41-0.3 0.2 -0.5
Jose Vidro 22 pre-arb 67-0.4 0.1 -0.5
Rick DeHart 27 – 23-0.4 – –
Omar Daal↔ TOR 25 arb 33-0.4 0.4 -0.9
Jose Paniagua 23 pre-arb 9-0.5 0.2 -0.6
Andy Stankiewicz 32 arb 76-0.8 0.2 -1.0
Chris Widger 26 pre-arb 91-1.2 0.2 -1.4

Key additions (new vs 1996)

PlayerfWAR
Carlos Perez2.9
Dustin Hermanson2.2
Doug Strange1.4
Marc Valdes0.9
Jim Bullinger0.5
Ryan McGuire0.4

Key subtractions (gone from 1996)

Player1996 fWAR
Jeff Fassero5.8
Mel Rojas2.2
Moises Alou2.0
Lenny Webster0.5
Tavo Alvarez0.3
Tim Scott0.2

Current & Historical Payroll

1997 payroll
$19.3M

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 (9)

PlayerAgeSvc1997199819992000200120022003
David Segui307.000$1.6MFREE AGENT
Darrin Fletcher308.000$1.4MFREE AGENT
Rheal Cormier306.000$1.1MFREE AGENT
Joe Orsulak3514.000$650kFREE AGENT
Lee Smith3917.000$400kFREE AGENT
Doug Strange338.000$220kFREE AGENT
Anthony Telford317.000$150k$225k$320k$700k$1.2MFREE AGENT
Jeff Juden266.000$136kFREE AGENT
Hensley Meulens308.000—FREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (10)

PlayerAgeSvc1997199819992000200120022003
Pedro Martínez255.000$3.6MFREE AGENT
Mike Lansing294.000$2.7MARB 3FREE AGENT
Henry Rodriguez295.000$2.3MFREE AGENT
Dave Veres303.000$725kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jim Bullinger315.000$525kFREE AGENT
Rondell White254.000$500kARB 3FREE AGENT
Omar Daal254.000$432kARB 3FREE AGENT
Andy Stankiewicz325.000$220kFREE AGENT
Sherman Obando274.000$185kARB 3FREE AGENT
Salomon Torres254.000$150kARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (22)

PlayerAgeSvc1997199819992000200120022003
Shane Andrews252.000$225kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mark Grudzielanek272.000$220kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
F.P. Santangelo292.000$212kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Perez262.000$210kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ugueth Urbina232.000$175kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dustin Hermanson242.000$163kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Paniagua231.000$155kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Marc Valdes252.000$152kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chris Widger262.000$152kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Vladimir Guerrero221.000$150kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Shayne Bennett250.000$150kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jose Vidro220.000$150kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan McGuire250.000$150kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Kline240.000$85kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Johnson210.000$66kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Orlando Cabrera220.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Raul Chavez241.000—Pre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Rick DeHart270.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steve Falteisek25–—
Brad Fullmer220.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Everett Stull25–—
Mike Thurman230.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Nationals 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.