Overview
Tenure breakdown
| Team | Role | Years | Szns | WAB | WAB/yr | TAB | WAR surp | HG | Trade | FA | R5 | AcqLev | W-L% | PO | Pen | WS | Surp $M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
▸  Mariners |
GM | 1986–1988 | 3 | -8.8 | -2.92 | +5.1 | +23.7 | +100.0 | -15.3 | -7.8 | -0.1 | 0.99 | 0.439 | – | – | – | +7 |
| Career total (1985+ data) | 3 | -8.8 | +5.1 | +23.7 | +100.0 | -15.3 | -7.8 | -0.1 | 0.99 | 0.439 | – | – | – | +7 | |||
Roster Construction
Build channels — net fWAR
Acquired minus surrendered / signed minus walked.
Roster value distribution — career average — depth vs. stars
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR, averaged across Dick Balderson's seasons. Bars = his rosters; the black line = the league-average player at each slot. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge.
Players acquired — 45 players, by realized fWAR for the franchise (scroll for more)
| Player | Pos | Team | How | Year | Szns | fWAR | WAR/yr | Lev |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Griffey | OF | SEA |
Draft | 1987 | 12 | +67.6 | +5.6 | – |
| Jay Buhner | OF | SEA |
Trade | 1988 | 14 | +22.4 | +1.6 | 2.2 |
| Erik Hanson | P | SEA |
Draft | 1986 | 6 | +21.4 | +3.6 | – |
| Tino Martinez | 1B | SEA |
Draft | 1988 | 4 | +8.7 | +2.2 | – |
| Scott Bankhead | P | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | 5 | +8.2 | +1.6 | 1.5 |
| Mike Jackson | P | SEA |
Trade | 1987 | 5 | +2.9 | +0.6 | 0.6 |
| Rey Quiñones | SS | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | 2 | +2.2 | +1.1 | 0.9 |
| Henry Cotto | OF | SEA |
Trade | 1987 | 5 | +2.1 | +0.4 | 0.7 |
| Mike Kingery | OF | SEA |
Trade | 1987 | 2 | +1.7 | +0.9 | 3.0 |
| Jerry Reed | P | SEA |
Free agency | 1986 | 3 | +1.6 | +0.5 | 0.1 |
| Greg Briley | OF | SEA |
Draft | 1986 | 2 | +1.4 | +0.7 | – |
| Rich DeLucia | P | SEA |
Draft | 1986 | 3 | +1.1 | +0.4 | – |
| Steve Balboni | 1B/DH | SEA |
Trade | 1988 | 1 | +1.1 | +1.1 | 0.9 |
| Brian Giles | 2B/SS | SEA |
Free agency | 1988 | 1 | +0.8 | +0.8 | 5.0 |
| Pete Ladd | P | SEA |
Free agency | 1986 | 1 | +0.7 | +0.7 | 0.1 |
| Steve Fireovid | P | SEA |
Free agency | 1986 | 1 | +0.3 | +0.3 | 0.1 |
| Chris Howard | C | SEA |
Draft | 1988 | 1 | +0.2 | +0.2 | – |
| Gene Walter | P | SEA |
Trade | 1988 | 1 | +0.2 | +0.2 | 0.2 |
| Dennis Powell | P | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | 1 | +0.1 | +0.1 | 0.7 |
| John Rabb | C | SEA |
Free agency | 1988 | 1 | +0.1 | +0.1 | 0.1 |
| Mike Trujillo | P | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | 2 | +0.1 | +0.0 | 0.1 |
| Mike Brown | P | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | 1 | +0.0 | +0.0 | 0.0 |
| Mike Gardiner | P | SEA |
Draft | 1987 | 1 | +0.0 | +0.0 | – |
| Mark Huismann | P | SEA |
Trade | 1987 | 1 | +0.0 | +0.0 | 0.4 |
| Steve Yeager | C | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | 1 | +0.0 | +0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dave Burba | P | SEA |
Draft | 1987 | 1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | – |
| Dave Cochrane | OF | SEA |
Trade | 1988 | – | -0.1 | – | – |
| Luis DeLeón | P | SEA |
Free agency | 1988 | – | -0.1 | – | – |
| Bruce Fields | OF | SEA |
Trade | 1987 | 1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | 0.0 |
| Pat Lennon | DH/OF | SEA |
Draft | 1986 | – | -0.1 | – | – |
| José Meléndez | P | SEA |
Rule 5 | 1988 | – | -0.1 | – | – |
| Jim Weaver | OF | SEA |
Free agency | 1987 | – | -0.1 | – | – |
| Kerry Woodson | P | SEA |
Draft | 1988 | – | -0.1 | – | – |
| John Christensen | OF | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | – | -0.2 | – | – |
| Jerry Narron | C | SEA |
Free agency | 1987 | – | -0.2 | – | – |
| Greg Pirkl | 1B/DH | SEA |
Draft | 1988 | 1 | -0.2 | -0.2 | – |
| Steve Trout | P | SEA |
Trade | 1987 | – | -0.2 | – | – |
| Milt Wilcox | P | SEA |
Free agency | 1986 | – | -0.2 | – | – |
| Jim Wilson | DH | SEA |
Free agency | 1988 | – | -0.2 | – | – |
| Steve Shields | P | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | – | -0.3 | – | – |
| Jeffrey Leonard | OF | SEA |
Free agency | 1988 | 1 | -0.5 | -0.5 | 0.9 |
| Tom Niedenfuer | P | SEA |
Free agency | 1988 | – | -0.5 | – | – |
| Ross Jones | SS | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | – | -0.6 | – | – |
| Rich Renteria | 2B/3B | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | – | -0.7 | – | – |
| Scott Bradley | C | SEA |
Trade | 1986 | 5 | -1.1 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
WAB = wins above what the team's payroll predicted (resource-controlled). WAR surplus = era-neutral value (WAR minus payroll in win-equivalents). Roster surplus $M = dollar value of WAR over cost. Build channels (realized fWAR): HG = home-grown via amateur draft / international signing; Trade = acquired minus surrendered (incl. purchases/waivers); FA = signed minus walked; R5 = Rule-5 / minor-league-draft pickups. Credit follows the acquisition year — home-grown to the regime at the player's draft/signing (not whoever was in the chair when he peaked), trade/FA/R5 to the GM who made the move. Players acquired as prospects before debuting (e.g. Smoltz, Bagwell; Rule-5 picks like Uggla) are counted as trade/R5, not home-grown. All are franchise-level outcomes during the stint, not solely attributable to one executive.