GM: Andy MacPhail
1987: World Series champions · 85–77. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Viola | 27 | arb | 36 | 5.4 | 0.8 | +0.7 |
| Kent Hrbek | 27 | FA-elig | 143 | 3.9 | 1.3 | -0.2 |
| Kirby Puckett | 27 | arb | 157 | 3.8 | 0.5 | +0.6 |
| Greg Gagne | 25 | arb | 137 | 3.5 | 0.2 | +0.9 |
| Gary Gaetti | 28 | FA-elig | 154 | 2.4 | 0.9 | -0.3 |
| Juan Berenguer | 32 | FA-elig | 47 | 2.3 | 0.2 | +0.5 |
| Tom Brunansky | 26 | FA-elig | 155 | 2.3 | 0.9 | -0.3 |
| Bert Blyleven | 36 | FA-elig | 37 | 2.2 | 1.1 | -0.5 |
| Steve Lombardozzi Sr. | 27 | pre-arb | 136 | 1.2 | 0.1 | +0.2 |
| Les Straker | 27 | pre-arb | 31 | 0.9 | 0.1 | +0.2 |
| Dan Gladden | 29 | arb | 121 | 0.9 | 0.2 | +0.0 |
| Joe Niekro↔ NYY | 42 | FA-elig | 19 | 0.8 | 0.5 | -0.3 |
| Jeff Reardon | 31 | FA-elig | 63 | 0.7 | 0.9 | -0.7 |
| Mike Smithson | 32 | – | 21 | 0.5 | – | – |
| Mark Salas↔ NYY | 26 | arb | 22 | 0.2 | 0.0 | +0.0 |
| Keith Atherton | 28 | arb | 59 | 0.2 | 0.3 | -0.2 |
| Roy Smalley III | 34 | FA-elig | 110 | 0.2 | 0.7 | -0.7 |
| Jeff Bittiger | 25 | – | 3 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Don Baylor↔ BOS | 38 | – | 20 | -0.0 | – | – |
| Chris Pittaro | 25 | – | 14 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Roy Smith | 25 | – | 7 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Steve Carlton↔ CLE | 42 | – | 9 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Randy Bush | 28 | arb | 122 | -0.1 | 0.3 | -0.3 |
| Joe Klink | 25 | – | 12 | -0.1 | – | – |
| George Frazier | 32 | – | 54 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Billy Beane | 25 | – | 12 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Randy Niemann | 31 | – | 6 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Mark Davidson | 26 | pre-arb | 102 | -0.1 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| Dan Schatzeder↔ PHI | 32 | FA-elig | 30 | -0.2 | 0.2 | -0.3 |
| Tom Nieto | 26 | – | 41 | -0.2 | – | – |
| Allan Anderson | 23 | – | 4 | -0.3 | – | – |
| Gene Larkin | 24 | pre-arb | 85 | -0.3 | 0.1 | -0.2 |
| Al Newman | 27 | pre-arb | 110 | -0.3 | 0.1 | -0.2 |
| Tim Laudner | 29 | FA-elig | 113 | -0.5 | 0.2 | -0.4 |
| Mark Portugal | 24 | – | 13 | -0.7 | – | – |
| Sal Butera↔ CIN | 34 | FA-elig | 51 | -1.2 | 0.1 | -0.4 |
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| Juan Berenguer | 2.3 |
| Les Straker | 0.9 |
| Dan Gladden | 0.9 |
| Joe Niekro | 0.8 |
| Jeff Reardon | 0.7 |
| Jeff Bittiger | 0.1 |
| Player | 1986 fWAR |
|---|---|
| Neal Heaton | 0.7 |
| Al Woods | 0.2 |
| Bill Latham | 0.2 |
| Roy Lee Jackson | 0.1 |
| John Butcher | 0.1 |
| Jeff Reed | 0.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Hrbek | 27 | 6.000 | $1.3M | $1.4M | $1.6M | $2.1M | $2.6M | $3.1M | $3.1M |
| Bert Blyleven | 36 | 17.000 | $1.1M | $1.0M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Gary Gaetti | 28 | 6.000 | $950k | $1.7M | $2.4M | $500k | FREE AGENT | ||
| Tom Brunansky | 26 | 6.000 | $940k | $1.0M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Jeff Reardon | 31 | 8.000 | $875k | $850k | $1.3M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Roy Smalley III | 34 | 12.000 | $740k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Joe Niekro | 42 | 20.000 | $545k | $800k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Tim Laudner | 29 | 6.000 | $245k | $295k | $700k | FREE AGENT | |||
| Dan Schatzeder | 32 | 10.000 | $228k | $195k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Juan Berenguer | 32 | 9.000 | $152k | $500k | $625k | $750k | FREE AGENT | ||
| Sal Butera | 34 | 7.000 | $57k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Don Baylor | 38 | 17.000 | — | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Steve Carlton | 42 | 22.000 | — | $115k | FREE AGENT | ||||
| George Frazier | 32 | 9.000 | — | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Randy Niemann | 31 | 8.000 | — | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Viola | 27 | 5.000 | $830k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Kirby Puckett | 27 | 3.000 | $465k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Keith Atherton | 28 | 4.000 | $300k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Randy Bush | 28 | 5.000 | $300k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Dan Gladden | 29 | 4.000 | $210k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Greg Gagne | 25 | 4.000 | $155k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Mark Salas | 26 | 3.000 | $42k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Billy Beane | 25 | 3.000 | — | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Tom Nieto | 26 | 3.000 | — | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Roy Smith | 25 | 3.000 | — | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Mike Smithson | 32 | 5.000 | — | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Lombardozzi Sr. | 27 | 2.000 | $105k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Al Newman | 27 | 2.000 | $70k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Mark Davidson | 26 | 1.000 | $62k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Les Straker | 27 | 0.000 | $62k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Gene Larkin | 24 | 0.000 | $62k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Allan Anderson | 23 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Jeff Bittiger | 25 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Joe Klink | 25 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Chris Pittaro | 25 | – | — | ||||||
| Mark Portugal | 24 | 2.000 | — | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Twins 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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