Rosternomics
← Trade Database
January 17, 1986

OAKCHC

OAK won this trade +$2.4M surplus OAK won this trade +0.3 WAR
OAKOAK Sandy Alderson net +$2.4M net +0.3
received +$0.0M+$0.0M ± $15M expected surplus · +$0.0M realized received 0.2 ± 2 expected · 0.0 realized WAR
receives — most valuable first
John Cox
+$0.3M+$0.3M± $15M exp surplusrealized +$0.0M 0.2± 2 exp WARrealized 0.0
Unidentified minor-league throw-in — valued at the ~0.2 WAR base rate (most produce nothing)
Gary JonesP·41y·L/L
−$0.7M−$0.7M± $0M exp surplusrealized +$0.0M 0.0± 0 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
0.0 control yr
CHCCHC Dallas Green net −$2.4M net -0.3
received +$2.4M+$2.4M ± $30M expected surplus · −$2.4M realized received 1.4 ± 4 expected · -0.3 realized WAR
receives — most valuable first
Phil Stephenson1B·25y·L/L
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $26M exp surplusrealized −$2.4M 1.2± 3 exp WARrealized -0.3
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
Bob Bathe
+$0.3M+$0.3M± $15M exp surplusrealized +$0.0M 0.2± 2 exp WARrealized 0.0
Unidentified minor-league throw-in — valued at the ~0.2 WAR base rate (most produce nothing)

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.