Rosternomics
← Trade Database
November 18, 1997

DETARI

DET won this trade +$1.6M surplus DET won this trade +0.5 WAR
DETDET Randy Smith net +$1.6M net +0.5
received +$98.4M+$98.4M ± $52M expected surplus · +$1.6M realized received 15.3 ± 6 expected · 0.5 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved DET's 1998 odds 5% → 6% (+1 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Joe Randa3B·28y·R/R
+$87.7M+$87.7M± $38M exp surplusrealized +$10.4M 11.4± 5 exp WARrealized 1.8
Prior
league baseline (track record outweighs draft pedigree) → 0.21/yr
Evidence
recent form 2.9/yr over 1.4 season
Talent
2.88/yr blended
Horizon
4.0 control yrs × 0.99 age decline
Matt Drews#12P·23y·R/R
+$9.3M+$9.3M± $26M exp surplusrealized +$0.0M 2.7± 3 exp WARrealized 0.0
Prior
Composite #12.0 prospect (Baseball America #12 (1996)) — fell off 2 lists since, regressed → 0.45/yr
Evidence
no MLB track record — leans on pedigree
Talent
0.45/yr blended
Horizon
6.0 control yrs
Gabe Alvarez3B·24y·R/R
+$1.8M+$1.8M± $24M exp surplusrealized −$8.8M 1.2± 3 exp WARrealized -1.3
Prior
Composite #92.0 prospect (Baseball America #92 (1996)) — fell off 2 lists since, regressed — 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
ARIARI Joe Garagiola net −$1.6M net -0.5
received +$21.6M−$17.6M ± $22M expected surplus · +$0.0M realized received 3.2 ± 3 expected · 0.0 realized WAR
Playoff odds: this deal moved ARI's 1998 odds 1% → 1% (-0.1 pts) — how trade timing is graded ↗
receives — most valuable first
Travis Fryman3B·29y·R/R
+$21.7M−$17.5M± $22M exp surplusrealized +$0.0M 3.2± 3 exp WARrealized 0.0
Prior
league baseline (track record outweighs draft pedigree) → 0.23/yr
Evidence
recent form 3.0/yr over 2.7 seasons
Talent
2.17/yr blended
Horizon
1.5 control yr

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.