Rosternomics
← Trade Database
December 10, 1986

KCRSEA

KCR won this trade +$40.8M surplus KCR won this trade +4.1 WAR
KCRKCR John Schuerholz net +$40.8M net +4.1
received +$21.6M+$21.6M ± $38M expected surplus · +$126.4M realized received 4.9 ± 5 expected · 13.7 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved KCR's 1987 odds 18% → 20% (+1.8 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Danny TartabullDH/OF·24y·R/R
+$20.0M+$20.0M± $30M exp surplusrealized +$128.0M 3.8± 4 exp WARrealized 13.9
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 1.4/yr over 1.0 season
Talent
0.76/yr blended
Horizon
5.0 control yrs
Rick LueckenP·26y·R/R
+$1.3M+$1.3M± $24M exp surplusrealized −$1.6M 1.1± 3 exp WARrealized -0.2
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 × 0.94 age decline
SEASEA Dick Balderson net −$40.8M net -4.1
received +$28.8M+$28.8M ± $62M expected surplus · +$85.6M realized received 5.2 ± 8 expected · 9.6 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved SEA's 1987 odds 18% → 16% (-1.6 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Scott BankheadP·23y·R/R
+$35.9M+$35.9M± $31M exp surplusrealized +$80.0M 5.2± 4 exp WARrealized 8.2
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 2.3/yr over 0.8 season
Talent
1.04/yr blended
Horizon
5.0 control yrs
Steve ShieldsP·28y·R/R
−$3.0M−$3.0M± $30M exp surplusrealized −$2.4M 0.0± 4 exp WARrealized -0.3
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form -0.9/yr over 0.8 season
Talent
-0.23/yr blended
Horizon
4.0 control yrs
Mike KingeryOF·26y·L/L
−$4.5M−$4.5M± $46M exp surplusrealized +$8.0M 0.0± 6 exp WARrealized 1.7
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form -0.9/yr over 0.4 season
Talent
-0.07/yr blended
Horizon
5.5 control yrs

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.