Rosternomics
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July 31, 1993

OAKTOR

OAK won this trade +$20.8M surplus OAK won this trade +0.6 WAR
OAKOAK Sandy Alderson net +$20.8M net +0.6
received +$12.8M+$12.8M ± $46M expected surplus · +$4.8M realized received 4.3 ± 6 expected · 1.0 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved OAK's 1993 odds 1% → 1% (+0.1 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Steve KarsayP·21y·R/R
+$11.0M+$11.0M± $34M exp surplusrealized +$12.0M 3.1± 4 exp WARrealized 2.2
Prior
Composite #55.0 prospect (Baseball America #55 (1993)) → 0.56/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.56/yr blended
Horizon
5.5 control yrs
José HerreraOF·20y·L/L
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $30M exp surplusrealized −$7.2M 1.2± 4 exp WARrealized -1.2
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
TORTOR Pat Gillick net −$20.8M net -0.6
received +$84.8M+$60.8M ± $23M expected surplus · −$16.0M realized received 7.2 ± 3 expected · 0.4 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved TOR's 1993 odds 82% → 80% (-1.8 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Rickey HendersonOF·34y·R/L
+$84.8M+$61.0M± $23M exp surplusrealized −$16.0M 7.2± 3 exp WARrealized 0.4
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 7.2/yr over 2.4 seasons
Talent
4.86/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.