Rosternomics
← Trade Database
February 1, 1985

STLSFG

SFG won this trade +$6.4M surplus STL won this trade +1.6 WAR
STLSTL Joe McDonald net −$6.4M net +1.6
received −$0.8M−$0.8M ± $26M expected surplus · +$23.2M realized received 0.5 ± 3 expected · 10.1 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved STL's 1985 odds 90% → 91% (+0.9 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Jack Clark1B/OF·29y·R/R
−$1.1M−$1.1M± $26M exp surplusrealized +$23.2M 0.5± 3 exp WARrealized 10.1
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.21/yr blended
Horizon
5.0 control yrs × 0.51 age decline
SFGSFG Tom Haller net +$6.4M net -1.6
received +$3.2M+$3.2M ± $47M expected surplus · +$29.6M realized received 3.8 ± 6 expected · 8.5 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved SFG's 1985 odds 1% → 1% (-0.1 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
David Green1B/OF·24y·R/R
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $26M exp surplusrealized −$5.6M 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
Dave LaPointP·25y·L/L
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $26M exp surplusrealized +$41.6M 1.2± 3 exp WARrealized 2.7
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
José UribeSS·26y·B/R
+$1.3M+$1.3M± $24M exp surplusrealized −$3.2M 1.1± 3 exp WARrealized 6.6
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 × 0.96 age decline
Gary Rajsich1B/OF·30y·L/L
−$1.4M−$1.4M± $18M exp surplusrealized −$3.2M 0.3± 2 exp WARrealized -0.5
Prior
no pedigree — league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.21/yr blended
Horizon
4.4 control yrs × 0.35 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.