GM: Gerry Hunsicker
1997: made playoffs · 84–78. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Biggio | 31 | FA-elig | 162 | 9.3 | 6.3 | +3.2 |
| Jeff Bagwell | 29 | FA-elig | 162 | 8.0 | 8.0 | +0.1 |
| Bill Spiers | 31 | FA-elig | 132 | 4.4 | 0.6 | +3.9 |
| Darryl Kile | 28 | FA-elig | 34 | 4.1 | 1.7 | +2.5 |
| Mike Hampton | 24 | arb | 34 | 3.1 | 1.4 | +1.8 |
| Derek Bell | 28 | FA-elig | 129 | 2.9 | 3.2 | -0.2 |
| Shane Reynolds | 29 | arb | 30 | 2.9 | 2.0 | +1.0 |
| Brad Ausmus | 28 | arb | 130 | 2.7 | 1.1 | +1.6 |
| Tim Bogar | 30 | arb | 97 | 2.3 | 0.3 | +2.1 |
| Luis Gonzalez | 29 | FA-elig | 152 | 2.3 | 1.4 | +1.0 |
| Billy Wagner | 25 | pre-arb | 62 | 2.2 | 0.2 | +2.0 |
| Chris Holt | 25 | pre-arb | 33 | 1.5 | 0.1 | +1.4 |
| Mike Magnante | 32 | FA-elig | 40 | 1.1 | 0.3 | +0.8 |
| Chuck Carr↔ MIL | 29 | FA-elig | 63 | 0.9 | 0.2 | +0.7 |
| Russ Springer | 28 | arb | 54 | 0.9 | 0.4 | +0.5 |
| Ramon Garcia | 28 | FA-elig | 42 | 0.7 | 0.2 | +0.6 |
| Bobby Abreu | 23 | pre-arb | 59 | 0.6 | 0.1 | +0.4 |
| Thomas Howard | 32 | FA-elig | 107 | 0.4 | 0.8 | -0.3 |
| Tom Martin | 27 | pre-arb | 55 | 0.4 | 0.1 | +0.3 |
| Jose Lima | 24 | arb | 52 | 0.3 | 0.2 | +0.1 |
| Richard Hidalgo | 22 | pre-arb | 19 | 0.3 | 0.1 | +0.1 |
| Randy Knorr | 28 | FA-elig | 4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | -0.1 |
| Jose Cabrera | 25 | – | 12 | 0.2 | – | – |
| Tony Eusebio | 30 | FA-elig | 60 | 0.1 | 0.7 | -0.5 |
| Russ Johnson | 24 | – | 21 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Tommy Greene | 30 | – | 2 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Sean Berry | 31 | FA-elig | 96 | 0.0 | 2.2 | -2.2 |
| Manuel Barrios | 22 | – | 2 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Ray Montgomery | 27 | pre-arb | 29 | -0.0 | 0.2 | -0.2 |
| Oscar Henriquez | 23 | – | 4 | -0.0 | – | – |
| Sid Fernandez | 34 | FA-elig | 1 | -0.0 | 0.4 | -0.4 |
| Luis Rivera | 33 | – | 7 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Tony Peña Sr.↔ CHW | 40 | FA-elig | 9 | -0.1 | 0.1 | -0.2 |
| Blas Minor | 31 | – | 11 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Ken Ramos | 30 | – | 14 | -0.2 | – | – |
| J.R. Phillips | 27 | – | 13 | -0.3 | – | – |
| Donne Wall | 29 | – | 8 | -0.3 | – | – |
| Ricky Gutierrez | 27 | arb | 102 | -0.6 | 0.4 | -1.0 |
| James Mouton | 28 | arb | 86 | -0.7 | 0.4 | -1.1 |
| Pat Listach | 29 | arb | 52 | -1.1 | 0.8 | -1.9 |
| John Hudek | 30 | arb | 40 | -1.2 | 0.4 | -1.7 |
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| Brad Ausmus | 2.7 |
| Tim Bogar | 2.3 |
| Luis Gonzalez | 2.3 |
| Mike Magnante | 1.1 |
| Chuck Carr | 0.9 |
| Russ Springer | 0.9 |
| Player | 1996 fWAR |
|---|---|
| Doug Drabek | 1.7 |
| John Cangelosi | 1.5 |
| Brian L. Hunter | 1.0 |
| Derrick May | 0.7 |
| Orlando Miller | 0.6 |
| Rick Wilkins | 0.3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bagwell | 29 | 6.000 | $8.0M | $7.9M | $6.5M | $6.5M | $6.5M | $11.0M | $13.0M |
| Craig Biggio | 31 | 9.000 | $6.3M | $6.1M | $6.1M | $6.8M | $7.8M | $8.8M | $9.8M |
| Derek Bell | 28 | 6.000 | $3.2M | $4.2M | $4.5M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Sean Berry | 31 | 7.000 | $2.2M | $1.0M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Darryl Kile | 28 | 6.000 | $1.7M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Luis Gonzalez | 29 | 7.000 | $1.4M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Thomas Howard | 32 | 7.000 | $750k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Tony Eusebio | 30 | 6.000 | $650k | $725k | $900k | $1.1M | $1.3M | FREE AGENT | |
| Bill Spiers | 31 | 8.000 | $600k | $1.6M | $1.6M | $1.7M | $1.7M | FREE AGENT | |
| Sid Fernandez | 34 | 14.000 | $375k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Randy Knorr | 28 | 6.000 | $300k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mike Magnante | 32 | 6.000 | $290k | $600k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Chuck Carr | 29 | 7.000 | $230k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Ramon Garcia | 28 | 6.000 | $160k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Tony Peña Sr. | 40 | 17.000 | $96k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Tommy Greene | 30 | 8.000 | — | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Luis Rivera | 33 | 11.000 | — | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Reynolds | 29 | 5.000 | $2.0M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mike Hampton | 24 | 4.000 | $1.4M | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Brad Ausmus | 28 | 4.000 | $1.1M | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Pat Listach | 29 | 5.000 | $750k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Ricky Gutierrez | 27 | 4.000 | $420k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| James Mouton | 28 | 3.000 | $415k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| John Hudek | 30 | 3.000 | $412k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Russ Springer | 28 | 5.000 | $400k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Tim Bogar | 30 | 4.000 | $275k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Jose Lima | 24 | 3.000 | $170k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Blas Minor | 31 | 5.000 | — | FREE AGENT | |||||
| J.R. Phillips | 27 | 4.000 | — | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Wagner | 25 | 2.000 | $185k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Ray Montgomery | 27 | 1.000 | $155k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Bobby Abreu | 23 | 1.000 | $150k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Richard Hidalgo | 22 | 0.000 | $150k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Chris Holt | 25 | 1.000 | $150k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Tom Martin | 27 | 0.000 | $150k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Manuel Barrios | 22 | – | — | ||||||
| Jose Cabrera | 25 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Oscar Henriquez | 23 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Russ Johnson | 24 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Ken Ramos | 30 | – | — | ||||||
| Donne Wall | 29 | 2.000 | — | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Astros 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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