Rosternomics
← Trade Database
August 29, 1996

PHIBAL

PHI won this trade +$17.6M surplus PHI won this trade +0.5 WAR
PHIPHI Lee Thomas net +$17.6M net +0.5
received +$3.2M+$3.2M ± $38M expected surplus · +$1.6M realized received 2.4 ± 5 expected · 0.9 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved PHI's 1996 odds 2% → 2% (-0.2 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Calvin MaduroP·21y·R/R
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $27M exp surplusrealized −$4.8M 1.2± 3 exp WARrealized -0.6
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
Garrett StephensonP·24y·R/R
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $27M exp surplusrealized +$6.4M 1.2± 3 exp WARrealized 1.5
Prior
#492 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
BALBAL Pat Gillick net −$17.6M net -0.5
received −$4.0M−$17.6M ± $19M expected surplus · −$16.0M realized received 2.4 ± 2 expected · 0.4 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved BAL's 1996 odds 32% → 34% (+2 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Pete IncavigliaOF·32y·R/R
+$2.1M+$2.1M± $13M exp surplusrealized −$5.6M 1.1± 2 exp WARrealized -0.0
Prior
league baseline (track record outweighs draft pedigree) → 0.27/yr
Evidence
recent form 1.3/yr over 1.3 season
Talent
0.78/yr blended
Horizon
1.5 control yr × 0.93 age decline
Todd Zeile3B·30y·R/R
−$6.0M−$19.4M± $14M exp surplusrealized −$10.4M 1.3± 2 exp WARrealized 0.4
Prior
league baseline (track record outweighs draft pedigree) → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 1.3/yr over 2.2 seasons
Talent
0.90/yr blended
Horizon
1.5 control yr × 0.96 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.