Rosternomics
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July 5, 1987

SFGSDP

SFG won this trade +$181.6M surplus SFG won this trade +17.1 WAR
SFGSFG Al Rosen net +$181.6M net +17.1
received +$131.2M+$131.2M ± $65M expected surplus · +$188.8M realized received 16.8 ± 8 expected · 22.4 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved SFG's 1987 odds 29% → 54% (+25 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Kevin MitchellOF·25y·R/R
+$99.5M+$99.5M± $31M exp surplusrealized +$209.6M 11.5± 4 exp WARrealized 18.7
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 3.8/yr over 0.7 season
Talent
2.30/yr blended
Horizon
5.0 control yrs
Dave DraveckyP·31y·R/L
+$27.0M+$27.0M± $40M exp surplusrealized −$4.0M 3.9± 5 exp WARrealized 2.7
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 2.0/yr over 1.6 season
Talent
1.25/yr blended
Horizon
3.9 control yrs × 0.81 age decline
Craig LeffertsP·29y·L/L
+$4.5M+$4.5M± $40M exp surplusrealized −$16.8M 1.4± 5 exp WARrealized 1.0
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 0.6/yr over 1.6 season
Talent
0.45/yr blended
Horizon
4.0 control yrs × 0.76 age decline
SDPSDP Jack McKeon net −$181.6M net -17.1
received +$76.0M+$76.0M ± $78M expected surplus · +$7.2M realized received 15.5 ± 10 expected · 5.3 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved SDP's 1987 odds 13% → 5% (-8 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Chris Brown3B·25y·R/R
+$53.6M+$53.6M± $51M exp surplusrealized −$4.8M 9.7± 6 exp WARrealized 0.4
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 3.7/yr over 1.3 season
Talent
2.43/yr blended
Horizon
4.0 control yrs
Mark DavisP·26y·L/L
+$15.8M+$15.8M± $49M exp surplusrealized +$22.4M 4.0± 6 exp WARrealized 5.0
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 1.6/yr over 1.6 season
Talent
1.01/yr blended
Horizon
4.0 control yrs
Mark GrantP·23y·R/R
+$7.8M+$7.8M± $24M exp surplusrealized −$9.6M 1.5± 3 exp WARrealized -0.3
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 0.9/yr over 0.1 season
Talent
0.28/yr blended
Horizon
5.5 control yrs
Keith ComstockP·31y·L/L
−$1.4M−$1.4M± $21M exp surplusrealized −$0.8M 0.3± 3 exp WARrealized 0.2
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.21/yr blended
Horizon
3.9 control yrs × 0.33 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.