Rosternomics
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January 5, 1987

NYYCHW

NYY won this trade +$28.8M surplus NYY won this trade +10.6 WAR
NYYNYY Woody Woodward net +$28.8M net +10.6
received +$0.0M+$0.0M ± $34M expected surplus · +$28.0M realized received 1.4 ± 4 expected · 10.6 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved NYY's 1987 odds 22% → 23% (+0.5 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Randy Velarde2B·24y·R/R
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $26M exp surplusrealized +$29.6M 1.2± 3 exp WARrealized 10.4
Prior
#475 overall draft pick — at the league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.21/yr blended
Horizon
5.5 control yrs
Pete FilsonP·28y·B/L
−$1.9M−$1.9M± $23M exp surplusrealized −$1.6M 0.2± 3 exp WARrealized 0.2
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form -0.1/yr over 0.9 season
Talent
0.06/yr blended
Horizon
4.0 control yrs × 0.75 age decline
CHWCHW Larry Himes net −$28.8M net -10.6
received −$4.0M−$4.0M ± $32M expected surplus · −$0.8M realized received 0.3 ± 4 expected · 0.0 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved CHW's 1987 odds 11% → 11% (-0.3 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Mike Soper
+$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)
Scott NielsenP·28y·R/R
−$3.9M−$3.9M± $28M exp surplusrealized −$0.8M 0.1± 4 exp WARrealized -0.0
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form -0.6/yr over 0.3 season
Talent
0.03/yr blended
Horizon
5.5 control yrs × 0.55 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.