GM: Gerry Hunsicker
1998: made playoffs · 102–60. Ranks are vs the 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moises Alou | 31 | FA-elig | 159 | 6.8 | 5.0 | +2.3 |
| Jeff Bagwell | 30 | FA-elig | 147 | 6.7 | 7.9 | -0.7 |
| Craig Biggio | 32 | FA-elig | 160 | 6.5 | 6.1 | +0.9 |
| Derek Bell | 29 | FA-elig | 156 | 5.7 | 4.2 | +1.9 |
| Shane Reynolds | 30 | FA-elig | 35 | 4.7 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
| Carl Everett | 27 | arb | 133 | 3.6 | 1.1 | +2.8 |
| Mike Hampton | 25 | arb | 32 | 3.2 | 2.2 | +1.2 |
| Randy Johnson↔ SEA | 34 | FA-elig | 11 | 3.1 | 1.9 | +1.4 |
| Sean Berry | 32 | FA-elig | 102 | 2.7 | 1.0 | +1.9 |
| Jose Lima | 25 | arb | 33 | 2.6 | 0.2 | +2.6 |
| Brad Ausmus | 29 | arb | 128 | 2.2 | 1.6 | +0.8 |
| Richard Hidalgo | 23 | pre-arb | 74 | 2.0 | 0.2 | +2.0 |
| Billy Wagner | 26 | arb | 58 | 1.8 | 0.3 | +1.7 |
| Sean Bergman | 28 | arb | 31 | 1.1 | 0.5 | +0.7 |
| Bill Spiers | 32 | FA-elig | 123 | 0.9 | 1.6 | -0.6 |
| Jay Powell↔ MIA | 26 | arb | 29 | 0.9 | 0.1 | +0.8 |
| John Halama | 26 | pre-arb | 6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | +0.6 |
| Scott Elarton | 22 | pre-arb | 28 | 0.5 | 0.2 | +0.4 |
| Pete Schourek↔ BOS | 29 | FA-elig | 15 | 0.4 | 1.0 | -0.5 |
| Mike Magnante | 33 | FA-elig | 48 | 0.4 | 0.6 | -0.2 |
| Russ Johnson | 25 | – | 8 | 0.2 | – | – |
| Tony Eusebio | 31 | FA-elig | 66 | 0.1 | 0.7 | -0.6 |
| C.J. Nitkowski | 25 | arb | 43 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -0.0 |
| Trever Miller | 25 | pre-arb | 37 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -0.0 |
| Ray Montgomery | 28 | pre-arb | 6 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -0.0 |
| Jack Howell | 36 | FA-elig | 24 | 0.1 | 0.5 | -0.4 |
| Daryle Ward | 23 | – | 4 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Jose Cabrera | 26 | pre-arb | 3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| Mitch Meluskey | 24 | pre-arb | 8 | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| Mike Grzanich | 25 | – | 1 | -0.0 | – | – |
| Reggie Harris | 29 | – | 6 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Pete Incaviglia↔ DET | 34 | FA-elig | 13 | -0.3 | 0.2 | -0.5 |
| Ricky Gutierrez | 28 | arb | 141 | -0.4 | 0.8 | -1.3 |
| Doug Henry | 34 | FA-elig | 59 | -0.4 | 0.7 | -1.2 |
| J.R. Phillips | 28 | arb | 36 | -0.4 | 0.2 | -0.7 |
| Bob Scanlan | 31 | – | 26 | -0.5 | – | – |
| Tim Bogar | 31 | arb | 79 | -0.8 | 0.7 | -1.6 |
| Dave Clark | 35 | FA-elig | 93 | -0.9 | 0.7 | -1.7 |
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| Moises Alou | 6.8 |
| Carl Everett | 3.6 |
| Randy Johnson | 3.1 |
| Sean Bergman | 1.1 |
| Jay Powell | 0.9 |
| John Halama | 0.7 |
| Player | 1997 fWAR |
|---|---|
| Darryl Kile | 4.1 |
| Luis Gonzalez | 2.3 |
| Chris Holt | 1.5 |
| Chuck Carr | 0.9 |
| Russ Springer | 0.9 |
| Ramon Garcia | 0.7 |
What the front office was committed to as of 1998, 1998–2004. 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 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bagwell | 30 | 7.000 | $7.9M | $6.5M | $6.5M | $6.5M | $11.0M | $13.0M | $16.0M |
| Craig Biggio | 32 | 10.000 | $6.1M | $6.1M | $6.8M | $7.8M | $8.8M | $9.8M | $3.0M |
| Moises Alou | 31 | 8.000 | $5.0M | FREE AGENT | $5.2M | $5.2M | |||
| Derek Bell | 29 | 7.000 | $4.2M | $4.5M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Shane Reynolds | 30 | 6.000 | $3.3M | $4.5M | $6.7M | $7.2M | $7.7M | FREE AGENT | |
| Randy Johnson | 34 | 10.000 | $1.9M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Bill Spiers | 32 | 9.000 | $1.6M | $1.6M | $1.7M | $1.7M | FREE AGENT | ||
| Sean Berry | 32 | 8.000 | $1.0M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Pete Schourek | 29 | 7.000 | $960k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Doug Henry | 34 | 7.000 | $725k | $725k | $500k | FREE AGENT | |||
| Tony Eusebio | 31 | 7.000 | $725k | $900k | $1.1M | $1.3M | FREE AGENT | ||
| Dave Clark | 35 | 12.000 | $700k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mike Magnante | 33 | 7.000 | $600k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Jack Howell | 36 | 13.000 | $500k | $550k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Pete Incaviglia | 34 | 12.000 | $195k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Reggie Harris | 29 | 8.000 | — | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Bob Scanlan | 31 | 7.000 | — | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Hampton | 25 | 5.000 | $2.2M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Brad Ausmus | 29 | 5.000 | $1.6M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Carl Everett | 27 | 5.000 | $1.1M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Ricky Gutierrez | 28 | 5.000 | $850k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Tim Bogar | 31 | 5.000 | $725k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Sean Bergman | 28 | 5.000 | $465k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Billy Wagner | 26 | 3.000 | $280k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| J.R. Phillips | 28 | 5.000 | $250k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Jose Lima | 25 | 4.000 | $240k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| C.J. Nitkowski | 25 | 3.000 | $185k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Jay Powell | 26 | 3.000 | $150k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Montgomery | 28 | 2.000 | $185k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Jose Cabrera | 26 | 1.000 | $180k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Trever Miller | 25 | 2.000 | $175k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Richard Hidalgo | 23 | 1.000 | $170k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| John Halama | 26 | 0.000 | $170k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Scott Elarton | 22 | 0.000 | $170k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Mitch Meluskey | 24 | 0.000 | $170k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Russ Johnson | 25 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Daryle Ward | 23 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Mike Grzanich | 25 | – | — |
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Astros 1998; 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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