GM: John Hart
1997: won pennant · 86–75. Ranks are vs the 28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Thome | 26 | FA-elig | 147 | 5.1 | 2.6 | +2.6 |
| Manny Ramirez | 25 | arb | 150 | 4.6 | 2.1 | +2.6 |
| David Justice | 31 | FA-elig | 139 | 4.2 | 6.3 | -2.0 |
| Sandy Alomar Jr. | 31 | FA-elig | 125 | 4.2 | 2.6 | +1.7 |
| Matt Williams | 31 | FA-elig | 151 | 4.1 | 7.2 | -2.9 |
| Charles Nagy | 30 | FA-elig | 34 | 2.9 | 3.4 | -0.5 |
| Omar Vizquel | 30 | FA-elig | 153 | 2.7 | 3.0 | -0.3 |
| Tony Fernandez | 35 | FA-elig | 120 | 2.1 | 1.6 | +0.6 |
| Brian Giles | 26 | pre-arb | 130 | 2.1 | 0.2 | +1.9 |
| Marquis Grissom | 30 | FA-elig | 144 | 2.0 | 4.8 | -2.9 |
| Mike Jackson | 32 | FA-elig | 71 | 1.7 | 2.0 | -0.3 |
| Chad Ogea | 26 | arb | 21 | 1.6 | 0.5 | +1.1 |
| Orel Hershiser | 38 | FA-elig | 32 | 1.4 | 3.1 | -1.6 |
| Jaret Wright | 21 | pre-arb | 16 | 1.2 | 0.1 | +1.1 |
| Jose Mesa | 31 | FA-elig | 66 | 1.0 | 1.9 | -0.9 |
| Paul Assenmacher | 36 | FA-elig | 75 | 1.0 | 0.9 | +0.1 |
| Bartolo Colon | 24 | pre-arb | 19 | 0.7 | 0.1 | +0.5 |
| Pat Borders | 34 | FA-elig | 55 | 0.6 | 0.4 | +0.2 |
| Jack McDowell | 31 | FA-elig | 8 | 0.5 | 4.8 | -4.3 |
| Brian Anderson | 25 | – | 8 | 0.4 | – | – |
| Chad Curtis↔ NYY | 28 | arb | 22 | 0.3 | 0.2 | +0.1 |
| Jeff Branson↔ CIN | 30 | arb | 29 | 0.2 | 0.2 | +0.0 |
| Jeff Juden↔ WSN | 26 | FA-elig | 8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | +0.2 |
| Terry Clark↔ TEX | 36 | FA-elig | 4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | +0.1 |
| Casey Candaele | 36 | – | 14 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Julio Franco↔ MIL | 38 | FA-elig | 78 | 0.1 | 2.1 | -2.0 |
| Paul Shuey | 26 | arb | 40 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| Bip Roberts↔ KCR | 33 | FA-elig | 23 | 0.1 | 0.4 | -0.3 |
| David Weathers↔ NYY | 27 | FA-elig | 9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| Jeff Manto | 32 | FA-elig | 16 | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.2 |
| Enrique Wilson | 23 | – | 5 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Trenidad Hubbard | 33 | – | 7 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Albie Lopez | 25 | arb | 37 | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.2 |
| John Smiley↔ CIN | 32 | FA-elig | 6 | -0.0 | 0.9 | -0.9 |
| Einar Díaz | 24 | – | 5 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Sean Casey | 22 | – | 6 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Richie Sexson | 22 | – | 5 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Bruce Aven | 25 | – | 13 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Damian Jackson↔ CIN | 23 | – | 8 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Jason Jacome↔ KCR | 26 | arb | 21 | -0.1 | 0.2 | -0.3 |
| Alvin Morman | 28 | pre-arb | 34 | -0.2 | 0.2 | -0.4 |
| Danny Graves↔ CIN | 23 | pre-arb | 5 | -0.3 | 0.1 | -0.3 |
| Kevin Seitzer | 35 | FA-elig | 64 | -0.3 | 1.2 | -1.5 |
| Eric Plunk | 33 | FA-elig | 55 | -0.3 | 1.9 | -2.2 |
| Kevin Mitchell | 35 | FA-elig | 20 | -0.5 | 0.5 | -1.0 |
| Steve Kline↔ WSN | 24 | pre-arb | 20 | -0.5 | 0.1 | -0.5 |
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| David Justice | 4.2 |
| Matt Williams | 4.1 |
| Tony Fernandez | 2.1 |
| Marquis Grissom | 2.0 |
| Mike Jackson | 1.7 |
| Jaret Wright | 1.2 |
| Player | 1996 fWAR |
|---|---|
| Albert Belle | 5.2 |
| Kenny Lofton | 4.6 |
| Dennis Martinez | 1.5 |
| Jeromy Burnitz | 1.2 |
| Julian Tavarez | 0.9 |
| Mark Carreon | 0.5 |
What the front office was committed to as of 1997, 1997–2003. 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 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Williams | 31 | 10.000 | $7.2M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| David Justice | 31 | 8.000 | $6.3M | $6.5M | $7.0M | $3.7M | FREE AGENT | ||
| Marquis Grissom | 30 | 8.000 | $4.8M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Jack McDowell | 31 | 10.000 | $4.8M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Charles Nagy | 30 | 7.000 | $3.4M | $3.4M | $6.0M | $6.0M | $6.0M | $6.0M | FREE AGENT |
| Orel Hershiser | 38 | 14.000 | $3.1M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Omar Vizquel | 30 | 8.000 | $3.0M | $3.0M | $3.0M | $3.0M | $3.0M | $4.5M | $5.5M |
| Jim Thome | 26 | 6.000 | $2.6M | $4.8M | $8.2M | $8.2M | $7.9M | $8.0M | FREE AGENT |
| Sandy Alomar Jr. | 31 | 9.000 | $2.6M | $2.7M | $2.8M | $2.7M | FREE AGENT | ||
| Julio Franco | 38 | 15.000 | $2.1M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mike Jackson | 32 | 11.000 | $2.0M | $2.0M | $2.1M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Jose Mesa | 31 | 10.000 | $1.9M | $984k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Eric Plunk | 33 | 11.000 | $1.9M | $1.1M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Tony Fernandez | 35 | 14.000 | $1.6M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Kevin Seitzer | 35 | 11.000 | $1.2M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Paul Assenmacher | 36 | 11.000 | $875k | $1.3M | $1.5M | FREE AGENT | |||
| John Smiley | 32 | 11.000 | $865k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Kevin Mitchell | 35 | 13.000 | $500k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Pat Borders | 34 | 9.000 | $400k | $500k | $135k | FREE AGENT | |||
| Bip Roberts | 33 | 11.000 | $374k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Jeff Manto | 32 | 7.000 | $240k | $129k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| David Weathers | 27 | 6.000 | $206k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Terry Clark | 36 | 9.000 | $62k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Jeff Juden | 26 | 6.000 | $49k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Casey Candaele | 36 | 11.000 | — | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manny Ramirez | 25 | 4.000 | $2.1M | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Chad Ogea | 26 | 3.000 | $533k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Paul Shuey | 26 | 3.000 | $197k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Albie Lopez | 25 | 4.000 | $176k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Chad Curtis | 28 | 5.000 | $172k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Jeff Branson | 30 | 5.000 | $170k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Jason Jacome | 26 | 3.000 | $165k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Brian Anderson | 25 | 4.000 | — | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Trenidad Hubbard | 33 | 3.000 | — | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Giles | 26 | 2.000 | $175k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Alvin Morman | 28 | 1.000 | $165k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Jaret Wright | 21 | 0.000 | $150k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Bartolo Colon | 24 | 0.000 | $150k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Steve Kline | 24 | 0.000 | $65k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Danny Graves | 23 | 1.000 | $53k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Bruce Aven | 25 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Sean Casey | 22 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Einar Díaz | 24 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Damian Jackson | 23 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Richie Sexson | 22 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Enrique Wilson | 23 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Guardians 1997; 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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