GM: Jim Frey
1989: made playoffs · 93–69. Ranks are vs the 26 teams that season.
Each position lists its starter then backups by games (so platoons & bench show). Starters (mound) & bullpen (left, foul territory) are ranked by WAR; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.
| Player | Age | Service | G | fWAR | Salary $M | Surplus $M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryne Sandberg | 29 | FA-elig | 157 | 5.7 | 0.9 | +1.1 |
| Rick Sutcliffe | 33 | FA-elig | 37 | 4.1 | 2.3 | -0.9 |
| Greg Maddux | 23 | arb | 35 | 4.0 | 0.3 | +1.2 |
| Mark Grace | 25 | pre-arb | 142 | 3.8 | 0.1 | +1.2 |
| Dwight Smith | 25 | pre-arb | 109 | 2.5 | 0.1 | +0.8 |
| Mike Bielecki | 29 | arb | 33 | 2.5 | 0.1 | +0.8 |
| Les Lancaster | 27 | pre-arb | 42 | 2.3 | 0.1 | +0.7 |
| Andre Dawson | 34 | FA-elig | 118 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -1.4 |
| Jerome Walton | 23 | pre-arb | 116 | 2.0 | 0.1 | +0.6 |
| Shawon Dunston | 26 | arb | 138 | 1.8 | 0.6 | +0.1 |
| Scott Sanderson | 32 | FA-elig | 37 | 1.3 | 0.8 | -0.3 |
| Damon Berryhill | 25 | pre-arb | 91 | 1.3 | 0.1 | +0.4 |
| Mitch Webster | 30 | FA-elig | 98 | 1.2 | 0.6 | -0.1 |
| Lloyd McClendon | 30 | pre-arb | 92 | 1.0 | 0.1 | +0.3 |
| Paul Kilgus | 27 | pre-arb | 35 | 1.0 | 0.1 | +0.2 |
| Steve Wilson | 24 | pre-arb | 53 | 1.0 | 0.1 | +0.3 |
| Domingo Ramos | 31 | FA-elig | 85 | 0.9 | 0.1 | +0.2 |
| Joe Girardi | 24 | pre-arb | 59 | 0.5 | 0.1 | +0.1 |
| Rick Wrona | 25 | pre-arb | 38 | 0.3 | 0.1 | +0.0 |
| Vance Law | 32 | FA-elig | 130 | 0.2 | 0.4 | -0.3 |
| Joe Kraemer | 24 | – | 1 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Pat Perry | 30 | – | 19 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Luis Salazar↔ SDP | 33 | FA-elig | 26 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| Jeff Pico | 23 | – | 53 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Kevin Blankenship | 26 | – | 2 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Paul Assenmacher↔ ATL | 28 | arb | 14 | 0.0 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| Darrin Jackson↔ SDP | 25 | arb | 45 | -0.0 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| Dean Wilkins | 22 | – | 11 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Curtis Wilkerson | 28 | FA-elig | 77 | -0.1 | 0.5 | -0.5 |
| Greg Smith | 22 | – | 4 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Gary Varsho | 28 | – | 61 | -0.3 | – | – |
| Phil Stephenson↔ SDP | 28 | – | 17 | -0.3 | – | – |
| Mitch Williams | 24 | arb | 76 | -0.4 | 0.4 | -0.5 |
| Marvell Wynne↔ SDP | 29 | FA-elig | 20 | -0.5 | 0.1 | -0.2 |
| Doug Dascenzo | 25 | – | 47 | -0.7 | – | – |
| Calvin Schiraldi↔ SDP | 27 | arb | 54 | -0.8 | 0.4 | -0.6 |
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| Dwight Smith | 2.5 |
| Jerome Walton | 2.0 |
| Lloyd McClendon | 1.0 |
| Paul Kilgus | 1.0 |
| Steve Wilson | 1.0 |
| Domingo Ramos | 0.9 |
| Player | 1988 fWAR |
|---|---|
| Rafael Palmeiro | 2.4 |
| Jamie Moyer | 1.8 |
| Frank DiPino | 0.8 |
| Jody Davis | 0.6 |
| Mike Harkey | 0.5 |
| Jim Sundberg | 0.3 |
What the front office was committed to as of 1989, 1989–1995. Pre-2015 has no contract-terms data — forward italic $ are realized actuals (hindsight, not commitments known then). Control labels (ARB/FA) are point-in-time.
| Player | Age | Svc | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Sutcliffe | 33 | 13.000 | $2.3M | $1.9M | $2.3M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Andre Dawson | 34 | 13.000 | $2.1M | $2.1M | $3.3M | $3.3M | FREE AGENT | ||
| Ryne Sandberg | 29 | 8.000 | $950k | $1.6M | FREE AGENT | $2.1M | $6.0M | $6.0M | |
| Scott Sanderson | 32 | 11.000 | $800k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mitch Webster | 30 | 6.000 | $550k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Curtis Wilkerson | 28 | 6.000 | $500k | $400k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Vance Law | 32 | 9.000 | $425k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Domingo Ramos | 31 | 11.000 | $130k | $310k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Luis Salazar | 33 | 9.000 | $86k | $550k | $575k | $600k | FREE AGENT | ||
| Marvell Wynne | 29 | 6.000 | $56k | $525k | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawon Dunston | 26 | 4.000 | $550k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Mitch Williams | 24 | 3.000 | $378k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Calvin Schiraldi | 27 | 5.000 | $366k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Greg Maddux | 23 | 3.000 | $275k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Mike Bielecki | 29 | 5.000 | $122k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Paul Assenmacher | 28 | 3.000 | $60k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Darrin Jackson | 25 | 4.000 | $58k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Pat Perry | 30 | 4.000 | — | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Grace | 25 | 1.000 | $140k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Paul Kilgus | 27 | 2.000 | $130k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Les Lancaster | 27 | 2.000 | $120k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Damon Berryhill | 25 | 2.000 | $115k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Lloyd McClendon | 30 | 2.000 | $91k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Jerome Walton | 23 | 0.000 | $68k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Steve Wilson | 24 | 1.000 | $68k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Joe Girardi | 24 | 0.000 | $68k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Dwight Smith | 25 | 0.000 | $68k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Rick Wrona | 25 | 1.000 | $68k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Kevin Blankenship | 26 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Doug Dascenzo | 25 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Joe Kraemer | 24 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Jeff Pico | 23 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Greg Smith | 22 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Phil Stephenson | 28 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Gary Varsho | 28 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Dean Wilkins | 22 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Cubs 1989; the black line = the league-average player at each slot that season. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge; dropping below it = holes & dead weight.
| Regime | Seasons | Win % | Playoff % | Pennant % | WS % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WINDOW | 289 | 52.2 | 30.1 | 4.8 | 1.0 |
| CONTEND | 311 | 56.8 | 63.0 | 19.3 | 10.3 |
| FORCED-SPEND | 260 | 47.9 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| REBUILD | 328 | 43.3 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Not enough history to chart.
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