GM: Bill Lajoie
1987: made playoffs · 98–64. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Trammell | 29 | FA-elig | 151 | 7.7 | 0.6 | +1.6 |
| Darrell Evans | 40 | FA-elig | 150 | 4.6 | 0.5 | +0.8 |
| Frank Tanana | 33 | FA-elig | 34 | 4.1 | 0.7 | +0.5 |
| Jack Morris | 32 | FA-elig | 36 | 4.1 | 1.9 | -0.7 |
| Kirk Gibson | 30 | FA-elig | 128 | 4.0 | 1.3 | -0.2 |
| Chet Lemon | 32 | FA-elig | 146 | 3.8 | 0.7 | +0.4 |
| Matt Nokes | 23 | pre-arb | 135 | 3.4 | 0.1 | +0.9 |
| Walt Terrell | 29 | arb | 35 | 3.2 | 0.6 | +0.3 |
| Lou Whitaker | 30 | FA-elig | 149 | 3.1 | 0.4 | +0.5 |
| Doyle Alexander↔ ATL | 36 | FA-elig | 11 | 2.5 | 0.3 | +0.5 |
| Mike Henneman | 25 | pre-arb | 55 | 1.9 | 0.1 | +0.5 |
| Jeff Robinson | 25 | pre-arb | 29 | 1.7 | 0.1 | +0.4 |
| Larry Herndon | 33 | FA-elig | 89 | 1.7 | 0.2 | +0.3 |
| Mike Heath | 32 | FA-elig | 93 | 1.5 | 0.7 | -0.2 |
| Bill Madlock↔ LAD | 36 | FA-elig | 87 | 1.2 | 0.7 | -0.3 |
| Dave Bergman | 34 | FA-elig | 91 | 0.6 | 0.3 | -0.2 |
| Billy Bean | 23 | – | 26 | 0.6 | – | – |
| Eric King | 23 | pre-arb | 55 | 0.6 | 0.1 | +0.1 |
| Scott Lusader | 22 | – | 23 | 0.4 | – | – |
| Mark Thurmond | 30 | arb | 48 | 0.3 | 0.4 | -0.3 |
| Pat Sheridan | 29 | FA-elig | 141 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -0.2 |
| Dan Petry | 28 | FA-elig | 30 | 0.1 | 1.0 | -0.9 |
| Doug Baker | 26 | – | 8 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Dickie Noles↔ CHC | 30 | FA-elig | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +0.0 |
| Jim Walewander | 25 | – | 53 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Nate Snell | 34 | – | 22 | -0.0 | – | – |
| Bryan Kelly | 28 | – | 5 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Morris Madden | 26 | – | 2 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Tim Tolman | 31 | – | 9 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Tom Brookens | 33 | FA-elig | 143 | -0.1 | 0.4 | -0.4 |
| Johnny Grubb | 38 | FA-elig | 59 | -0.1 | 0.4 | -0.4 |
| Willie Hernandez | 32 | FA-elig | 45 | -0.1 | 1.1 | -1.1 |
| Dwight Lowry | 29 | – | 13 | -0.2 | – | – |
| Jim Morrison↔ PIT | 34 | FA-elig | 34 | -0.3 | 0.1 | -0.2 |
| Terry Harper↔ PIT | 31 | FA-elig | 31 | -0.3 | 0.2 | -0.3 |
| Orlando Mercado↔ LAD | 25 | – | 10 | -0.3 | – | – |
| Darnell Coles↔ PIT | 25 | arb | 53 | -1.0 | 0.1 | -0.4 |
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| Doyle Alexander | 2.5 |
| Mike Henneman | 1.9 |
| Jeff Robinson | 1.7 |
| Bill Madlock | 1.2 |
| Billy Bean | 0.6 |
| Scott Lusader | 0.4 |
| Player | 1986 fWAR |
|---|---|
| Lance Parrish | 3.4 |
| Dave Collins | 1.4 |
| Randy O'Neal | 0.9 |
| Bill Campbell | 0.4 |
| Mike Laga | 0.1 |
| Harry Spilman | 0.1 |
What the front office was committed to as of 1987, 1987–1993. 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 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Morris | 32 | 10.000 | $1.9M | $2.0M | $2.0M | $2.1M | FREE AGENT | ||
| Kirk Gibson | 30 | 8.000 | $1.3M | FREE AGENT | $1.1M | ||||
| Willie Hernandez | 32 | 10.000 | $1.1M | $1.2M | $1.3M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Dan Petry | 28 | 8.000 | $975k | FREE AGENT | $475k | $276k | |||
| Chet Lemon | 32 | 12.000 | $699k | $829k | $829k | $829k | FREE AGENT | ||
| Bill Madlock | 36 | 14.000 | $685k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Frank Tanana | 33 | 14.000 | $662k | $1.1M | $925k | $1.1M | $1.9M | $1.7M | FREE AGENT |
| Mike Heath | 32 | 9.000 | $650k | $400k | $425k | $600k | FREE AGENT | ||
| Alan Trammell | 29 | 10.000 | $617k | $1.0M | $1.1M | $1.8M | $2.2M | $2.4M | $1.8M |
| Darrell Evans | 40 | 18.000 | $525k | $860k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Lou Whitaker | 30 | 10.000 | $420k | $975k | $1.0M | $1.8M | $2.0M | $2.2M | $3.4M |
| Johnny Grubb | 38 | 15.000 | $365k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Tom Brookens | 33 | 8.000 | $360k | $350k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Dave Bergman | 34 | 12.000 | $332k | $360k | $438k | $525k | $575k | $375k | FREE AGENT |
| Doyle Alexander | 36 | 16.000 | $265k | $500k | $1.0M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Larry Herndon | 33 | 13.000 | $225k | $375k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Terry Harper | 31 | 7.000 | $197k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Pat Sheridan | 29 | 6.000 | $190k | $343k | $251k | FREE AGENT | |||
| Jim Morrison | 34 | 10.000 | $83k | $189k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Dickie Noles | 30 | 8.000 | $7k | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walt Terrell | 29 | 5.000 | $600k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mark Thurmond | 30 | 4.000 | $370k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Darnell Coles | 25 | 4.000 | $97k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Doug Baker | 26 | 3.000 | — | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Dwight Lowry | 29 | 3.000 | — | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric King | 23 | 1.000 | $100k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Matt Nokes | 23 | 2.000 | $68k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Mike Henneman | 25 | 0.000 | $62k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Jeff Robinson | 25 | 0.000 | $62k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Billy Bean | 23 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Bryan Kelly | 28 | – | — | ||||||
| Scott Lusader | 22 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Morris Madden | 26 | – | — | ||||||
| Orlando Mercado | 25 | – | — | ||||||
| Nate Snell | 34 | – | — | ||||||
| Tim Tolman | 31 | – | — | ||||||
| Jim Walewander | 25 | – | — |
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Tigers 1987; 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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