Rosternomics
← Trade Database
December 6, 1989

CLESDP

CLE won this trade +$116.0M surplus CLE won this trade +29.9 WAR
CLECLE Hank Peters net +$116.0M net +29.9
received +$48.0M+$48.0M ± $51M expected surplus · +$88.8M realized received 11.3 ± 6 expected · 27.9 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved CLE's 1990 odds 1% → 3% (+2.1 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Sandy AlomarC·24y·R/R
+$43.2M+$43.2M± $37M exp surplusrealized −$6.4M 8.7± 5 exp WARrealized 13.2
Prior
Composite #5.0 pedigree (Baseball America #5 (1990)) → 1.66/yr
Evidence
recent form -0.0/yr over 0.1 season
Talent
1.58/yr blended
Horizon
5.5 control yrs
Carlos Baerga2B·21y·B/R
+$7.2M+$7.2M± $30M exp surplusrealized +$112.8M 2.6± 4 exp WARrealized 15.2
Prior
Composite #67.0 prospect (Baseball America #67 (1990)) → 0.47/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.47/yr blended
Horizon
5.5 control yrs
Chris JamesOF·27y·R/R
−$2.2M−$2.2M± $19M exp surplusrealized −$17.6M 0.0± 2 exp WARrealized -0.5
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form -0.2/yr over 1.9 season
Talent
-0.04/yr blended
Horizon
3.0 control yrs
SDPSDP Jack McKeon net −$116.0M net -29.9
received +$19.2M−$8.8M ± $14M expected surplus · −$27.2M realized received 2.4 ± 2 expected · -2.0 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved SDP's 1990 odds 21% → 6% (-15.5 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Joe CarterOF·30y·R/R
+$19.4M−$8.8M± $14M exp surplusrealized −$27.2M 2.4± 2 exp WARrealized -2.0
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 2.3/yr over 2.5 seasons
Talent
1.65/yr blended
Horizon
1.5 control yr × 0.98 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.