Rosternomics
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October 24, 1985

WSNSFG

SFG won this trade +$0.8M surplus WSN won this trade +0.2 WAR
WSNWSN Murray Cook net −$0.8M net +0.2
received +$0.8M+$0.8M ± $35M expected surplus · −$4.8M realized received 1.7 ± 4 expected · -0.5 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved WSN's 1986 odds 14% → 15% (+1.8 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Alonzo PowellOF·21y·R/R
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $26M exp surplusrealized −$3.2M 1.2± 3 exp WARrealized -0.4
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.21/yr blended
Horizon
5.5 control yrs
George RileyP·29y·L/L
−$1.1M−$1.1M± $24M exp surplusrealized −$1.6M 0.5± 3 exp WARrealized -0.1
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.21/yr blended
Horizon
5.0 control yrs × 0.47 age decline
SFGSFG Tom Haller net +$0.8M net -0.2
received +$2.4M+$2.4M ± $25M expected surplus · −$4.0M realized received 0.8 ± 3 expected · -0.7 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved SFG's 1986 odds 44% → 41% (-3.5 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Bill LaskeyP·28y·R/R
+$2.8M+$2.8M± $25M exp surplusrealized −$4.0M 0.8± 3 exp WARrealized -0.7
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 0.3/yr over 1.0 season
Talent
0.23/yr blended
Horizon
5.0 control yrs × 0.68 age decline

Each player is valued on what he was expected to produce at the time of the trade, versus what he actually produced for his new team.

Expected WAR blends a player's pedigree (composite top-100 rank / draft slot, or a baseline) with his recent track record, projected over the years of team control acquired. The ± figure is a historically calibrated predictive standard deviation, measuring how widely comparable forecasts have missed around their expected value. Surplus values that production at the FA market price of a win (~$8M/WAR) minus salary — so cost-controlled players carry large surplus and expensive ones little, even at the same WAR. Who won is descriptive, not a skill claim: ~99% of a trade's outcome is unforeseeable at the time.