Rosternomics
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November 29, 1995

SEALAD

SEA won this trade +$8.8M surplus SEA won this trade +0.1 WAR
SEASEA Woody Woodward net +$8.8M net +0.1
received +$3.2M+$3.2M ± $38M expected surplus · −$0.8M realized received 2.4 ± 5 expected · 0.2 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved SEA's 1996 odds 83% → 82% (-0.2 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Willis Otáñez3B·23y·R/R
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $27M exp surplusrealized +$0.0M 1.2± 3 exp WARrealized 0.0
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
Miguel Cairo2B·22y·R/R
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $27M exp surplusrealized −$0.8M 1.2± 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
LADLAD Fred Claire net −$8.8M net -0.1
received +$10.4M+$10.4M ± $26M expected surplus · −$9.6M realized received 3.4 ± 3 expected · 0.1 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved LAD's 1996 odds 12% → 13% (+0.2 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Mike Blowers3B·31y·R/R
+$10.7M+$10.7M± $26M exp surplusrealized −$9.6M 3.4± 3 exp WARrealized 0.1
Prior
league baseline (track record outweighs draft pedigree) → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 2.0/yr over 1.7 season
Talent
1.28/yr blended
Horizon
3.0 control yrs × 0.88 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.