Rosternomics
← Trade Database
December 15, 2002

STLSDP

STL won this trade +$13.6M surplus STL won this trade +1.9 WAR
STLSTL Walt Jocketty net +$13.6M net +1.9
received +$1.6M−$0.8M ± $15M expected surplus · +$12.0M realized received 1.2 ± 2 expected · 1.7 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved STL's 2003 odds 41% → 52% (+11.2 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Brett TomkoP·30y·R/R
+$1.7M−$1.1M± $15M exp surplusrealized +$12.0M 1.2± 2 exp WARrealized 1.7
Prior
league baseline (track record outweighs draft pedigree) → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 1.1/yr over 2.2 seasons
Talent
0.82/yr blended
Horizon
1.5 control yr × 0.94 age decline
SDPSDP Kevin Towers net −$13.6M net -1.9
received −$0.8M−$0.8M ± $32M expected surplus · −$1.6M realized received 1.3 ± 4 expected · -0.2 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved SDP's 2003 odds 4% → 3% (-1.6 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Mike WodnickiP·23y·R/R
+$2.3M+$2.3M± $23M exp surplusrealized +$0.0M 1.3± 3 exp WARrealized 0.0
Prior
#494 overall draft pick — at the league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.21/yr blended
Horizon
6.0 control yrs
Luther HackmanP·28y·R/R
−$3.0M−$3.0M± $22M exp surplusrealized −$1.6M 0.0± 3 exp WARrealized -0.2
Prior
#154 overall draft pick — at the league baseline → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form -0.2/yr over 1.7 season
Talent
-0.03/yr blended
Horizon
4.0 control yrs

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.