Rosternomics
← Trade Database
November 19, 1998

PHISTL

STL won this trade +$8.0M surplus PHI won this trade +1.7 WAR
PHIPHI Ed Wade net −$8.0M net +1.7
received −$22.4M−$22.4M ± $29M expected surplus · −$5.6M realized received 3.3 ± 4 expected · 4.8 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved PHI's 1999 odds 6% → 8% (+2.7 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Cliff PolitteP·25y·R/R
−$1.4M−$1.4M± $22M exp surplusrealized +$3.2M 0.6± 3 exp WARrealized 1.1
Prior
#1438 overall draft pick — at the league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form -0.4/yr over 0.3 season
Talent
0.11/yr blended
Horizon
5.5 control yrs
Jeff BrantleyP·35y·R/R
−$10.6M−$10.6M± $9M exp surplusrealized −$12.8M 0.1± 1 exp WARrealized -0.4
Prior
league baseline (track record outweighs draft pedigree) → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 0.0/yr over 2.5 seasons
Talent
0.09/yr blended
Horizon
1.5 control yr × 0.67 age decline
Ron GantOF·34y·R/R
−$10.8M−$10.8M± $16M exp surplusrealized +$4.0M 2.6± 2 exp WARrealized 4.1
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 2.6/yr over 2.3 seasons
Talent
1.79/yr blended
Horizon
1.5 control yr × 0.95 age decline
STLSTL Walt Jocketty net +$8.0M net -1.7
received +$10.4M+$10.4M ± $35M expected surplus · +$2.4M realized received 3.1 ± 4 expected · 3.1 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved STL's 1999 odds 12% → 9% (-3.8 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Garrett StephensonP·27y·R/R
+$9.5M+$9.5M± $33M exp surplusrealized +$9.6M 2.6± 4 exp WARrealized 3.0
Prior
#492 overall draft pick — at the league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 1.4/yr over 0.7 season
Talent
0.64/yr blended
Horizon
4.0 control yrs
Ricky BottalicoP·29y·L/R
+$1.2M+$1.2M± $13M exp surplusrealized −$7.2M 0.5± 2 exp WARrealized 0.1
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 0.3/yr over 2.4 seasons
Talent
0.27/yr blended
Horizon
2.0 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.