Rosternomics
Log in Sign up 𝕏

Nationals WSN

199778–84 (0.481)
‹ Previous Next ›

GM: Jim Beattie

Overview

Ranks vs the 30 teams in 1997, or a custom range (defaults to every team-season since 1985, when our data starts).

to

Front Office

PoorAverageGreat
Value
Payroll $M
$19M
Surplus $M
+14
Win %
0.481
TAB
+6.8
WAB
+5.1
Roster composition
Roster fWAR
32.5
Dead money %
29%
Depth Players
6.0
Dead WAR
-5.3

Offense

PoorAverageGreat

Pitching & Defense

PoorAverageGreat

Roster

1997 depth chart — stacked by playing time

C

RChris Widger85
LDarrin Fletcher83
RRaúl Chávez13

1B

BDavid Segui125
LRyan McGuire30
LJoe Orsulak15
LBrad Fullmer8
RHensley Meulens3
LHenry Rodriguez3
BDoug Strange1

2B

RMike Lansing144
RAndy Stankiewicz25
BF.P. Santangelo7
BJose Vidro5
ROrlando Cabrera4
BDoug Strange3

3B

BDoug Strange105
BJose Vidro36
BF.P. Santangelo32
RShane Andrews18
RAndy Stankiewicz3

SS

RMark Grudzielanek156
RAndy Stankiewicz14
ROrlando Cabrera6
BF.P. Santangelo1

LF

LHenry Rodriguez126
BF.P. Santangelo40
LJoe Orsulak37
LRyan McGuire21
RHensley Meulens8
BDoug Strange2
LBrad Fullmer2
RSherman Obando1

CF

RRondell White151
BF.P. Santangelo13
LRyan McGuire2
RVladimir Guerrero1

RF

RVladimir Guerrero84
BF.P. Santangelo51
LJoe Orsulak26
LRyan McGuire22
RSherman Obando14
LHenry Rodriguez1

DH

BJose Vidro5
LRyan McGuire3
RSherman Obando1

Starters

RPedro Martinez8.4 WAR
LCarlos Perez2.9 WAR
RDustin Hermanson2.2 WAR
RMarc Valdes0.9 WAR
RJeff Juden⇄0.9 WAR
RJim Bullinger0.5 WAR
RMike Johnson⇄-0.1 WAR
LRheal Cormier-0.1 WAR
RMike Thurman-0.1 WAR
RJose Paniagua-0.5 WAR

Bullpen

★ RUgueth Urbina27 sv
RAnthony Telford0 h
RDave Veres0 h
LOmar Daal⇄0 h
LSteve Kline⇄0 h
RLee Smith0 h
LRick DeHart0 h
RShayne Bennett0 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 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

Contract Value

WAR translated into tier-adjusted market value, then compared with what the player was paid by Nationals. Guaranteed contracts from the 2015-present contract-data period use the known contract period through 1997; everyone else is shown as a 1997 season snapshot.

PlayerPeriodfWARTier Market $MPaid $MSurplus $M$ / WARTierContract
Pedro Martínez 1997 +8.4 +168.7 3.6 +165.0 $0.4M 2.50× –
Rondell White 1997 +4.7 +68.1 0.5 +67.6 $0.1M 1.79× –
Carlos Perez 1997 +2.9 +45.2 0.2 +44.9 $0.1M 1.96× –
Mike Lansing 1997 +3.8 +36.9 2.7 +34.2 $0.7M 1.20× –
Dustin Hermanson 1997 +2.2 +26.4 0.2 +26.3 $0.1M 1.49× –
F.P. Santangelo 1997 +1.7 +16.9 0.2 +16.7 $0.1M 1.22× –
Vladimir Guerrero 1997 +1.5 +15.0 0.1 +14.8 $0.1M 1.22× –
David Segui 1997 +2.3 +15.0 1.6 +13.4 $0.7M 0.81× –
Mark Grudzielanek 1997 +1.6 +11.7 0.2 +11.5 $0.1M 0.89× –
Darrin Fletcher 1997 +1.5 +9.2 1.4 +7.9 $0.9M 0.76× –
Henry Rodriguez 1997 +1.5 +9.8 2.3 +7.5 $1.6M 0.83× –
Ugueth Urbina 1997 +0.7 +7.7 0.2 +7.5 $0.2M 1.34× –
Jeff Juden↔ 1997 +0.9 +7.4 0.1 +7.3 $0.1M 1.02× –
Doug Strange 1997 +1.4 +6.3 0.2 +6.1 $0.2M 0.58× –
Marc Valdes 1997 +0.9 +5.1 0.2 +4.9 $0.2M 0.67× –
Jim Bullinger 1997 +0.5 +3.9 0.5 +3.3 $1.1M 1.02× –
Ryan McGuire 1997 +0.4 +1.7 0.1 +1.5 $0.4M 0.56× –
Dave Veres 1997 +0.4 +1.9 0.7 +1.2 $2.0M 0.67× –
Lee Smith 1997 +0.1 +0.6 0.4 +0.2 $6.8M 1.34× –
Shane Andrews 1997 +0.0 +0.1 0.2 -0.1 $13.1M 0.58× –
Shayne Bennett 1997 -0.0 -0.2 0.1 -0.4 – 0.67× –
Steve Kline↔ 1997 -0.1 -0.8 0.1 -0.9 – 0.67× –
Mike Johnson↔ 1997 -0.1 -0.9 0.1 -1.0 – 1.02× –
Anthony Telford 1997 -0.2 -1.0 0.1 -1.2 – 0.67× –
Joe Orsulak 1997 -0.1 -0.6 0.7 -1.3 – 0.83× –
Salomon Torres↔ 1997 -0.2 -1.2 0.1 -1.3 – 0.67× –
Jose Vidro 1997 -0.4 -1.7 0.1 -1.9 – 0.58× –
Rheal Cormier 1997 -0.1 -1.1 1.1 -2.1 – 1.02× –
Sherman Obando 1997 -0.3 -2.0 0.2 -2.2 – 0.83× –
Jose Paniagua 1997 -0.5 -2.5 0.2 -2.7 – 0.67× –
Omar Daal↔ 1997 -0.4 -2.3 0.4 -2.8 – 0.67× –
Andy Stankiewicz 1997 -0.8 -3.5 0.2 -3.7 – 0.56× –
Chris Widger 1997 -1.2 -5.0 0.2 -5.1 – 0.52× –
Brad Fullmer 1997 +0.2 +0.8 – – – 0.56× –
Everett Stull 1997 -0.1 -0.7 – – – 0.67× –
Hensley Meulens 1997 +0.1 +0.5 – – – 0.83× –
Mike Thurman 1997 -0.1 -0.7 – – – 0.67× –
Orlando Cabrera 1997 -0.1 -0.3 – – – 0.61× –
Raul Chavez 1997 -0.1 -0.3 – – – 0.52× –
Rick DeHart 1997 -0.4 -2.1 – – – 0.67× –
Steve Falteisek 1997 -0.0 -0.1 – – – 0.67× –
Total—+32.5+431.919.2+415.1—

Trades

Every graded 1997 deal involving the Nationals — best expected value first. Surplus is realized value in $M; 9 total.

1997 · BOS / WSN
BOS · Dan Duquette +$746.4M
Pedro Martínez
WSN · Jim Beattie −$746.4M
Carl Pavano, Tony Armas
BOS came out ahead by $746.4M
1997 · WSN / COL
WSN · Jim Beattie +$15.2M
Mark Hamlin, John Nicholson, Jake Westbrook
COL · Bob Gebhard −$15.2M
Mike Lansing
WSN came out ahead by $15.2M
1997 · COL / WSN
COL · Bob Gebhard +$3.2M
Dave Veres, Mark Hamlin
WSN · Jim Beattie −$3.2M
Terry Jones, Mark Mangum
COL came out ahead by $3.2M
1997 · WSN / CHC
WSN · Jim Beattie +$14.4M
Miguel Batista
CHC · Ed Lynch −$14.4M
Henry Rodríguez
WSN came out ahead by $14.4M
1997 · BAL / WSN
BAL · Pat Gillick +$8.8M
Everett Stull
WSN · Jim Beattie −$8.8M
Mike Johnson
BAL came out ahead by $8.8M
1997 · CHC / WSN
CHC · Ed Lynch +$0.0M
Gil Heredia
WSN · Jim Beattie +$0.0M
Saul Bustos, Dave Jefferson
Even trade
1997 · WSN / CLE
WSN · Jim Beattie +$8.8M
Steve Kline
CLE · John Hart −$8.8M
Jeff Juden
WSN came out ahead by $8.8M
1997 · MIA / WSN
MIA · Dave Dombrowski +$11.2M
Cliff Floyd
WSN · Jim Beattie −$11.2M
Dustin Hermanson, Joe Orsulak
MIA came out ahead by $11.2M
1997 · KCR / WSN
KCR · Herk Robinson +$0.0M
Yamil Benítez
WSN · Jim Beattie +$0.0M
Melvin Bunch
Even trade

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

How each 1997 acquisition stacked onto Nationals'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).
Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · © 2026 Rosternomics