GM: Joe McDonald
1985: won pennant · 101–61. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willie McGee | 26 | arb | 152 | 7.1 | 0.5 | +1.4 |
| John Tudor | 31 | FA-elig | 37 | 6.6 | 0.5 | +1.3 |
| Ozzie Smith | 30 | FA-elig | 158 | 5.6 | 1.4 | +0.0 |
| Tom Herr | 29 | FA-elig | 159 | 5.1 | 0.6 | +0.8 |
| Andy Van Slyke | 24 | pre-arb | 146 | 3.4 | 0.2 | +0.7 |
| Danny Cox | 25 | pre-arb | 35 | 3.3 | 0.1 | +0.8 |
| Joaquin Andujar | 32 | FA-elig | 38 | 2.9 | 1.0 | -0.3 |
| Jack Clark | 29 | FA-elig | 126 | 2.9 | 1.6 | -0.8 |
| Vince Coleman | 23 | pre-arb | 151 | 2.6 | 0.1 | +0.6 |
| Ken Dayley | 26 | arb | 57 | 2.1 | 0.1 | +0.4 |
| Darrell Porter | 33 | FA-elig | 84 | 2.1 | 0.7 | -0.2 |
| Terry Pendleton | 24 | pre-arb | 149 | 2.0 | 0.1 | +0.4 |
| Cesar Cedeno↔ CIN | 34 | FA-elig | 28 | 1.4 | 0.1 | +0.2 |
| Tito Landrum | 30 | arb | 85 | 1.2 | 0.2 | +0.1 |
| Bob Forsch | 35 | FA-elig | 34 | 1.0 | 0.6 | -0.3 |
| Ricky Horton | 25 | pre-arb | 49 | 0.7 | 0.1 | +0.1 |
| Jeff Lahti | 28 | arb | 52 | 0.6 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| Lonnie Smith↔ KCR | 29 | FA-elig | 28 | 0.4 | 0.1 | -0.0 |
| Curt Ford | 24 | – | 11 | 0.4 | – | – |
| Bill Campbell | 36 | FA-elig | 50 | 0.3 | 0.5 | -0.4 |
| Pat Perry | 26 | – | 6 | 0.2 | – | – |
| Matt Keough | 29 | – | 4 | 0.2 | – | – |
| Tom Lawless | 28 | – | 47 | 0.2 | – | – |
| Steve Braun | 37 | FA-elig | 64 | 0.2 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| Todd Worrell | 25 | – | 17 | 0.2 | – | – |
| Mike Jorgensen | 36 | FA-elig | 72 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -0.2 |
| Andy Hassler | 33 | – | 10 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Joe Boever | 24 | – | 13 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Michael LaValliere | 24 | – | 12 | -0.0 | – | – |
| Doug Bair↔ DET | 35 | – | 2 | -0.0 | – | – |
| Brian Harper | 25 | FA-elig | 43 | -0.0 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| Art Howe | 38 | – | 4 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Kurt Kepshire | 25 | pre-arb | 32 | -0.1 | 0.1 | -0.1 |
| Randy Hunt | 25 | – | 14 | -0.2 | – | – |
| Ivan De Jesus Sr. | 32 | FA-elig | 59 | -0.3 | 0.7 | -0.8 |
| Tom Nieto | 24 | – | 95 | -0.4 | – | – |
| Neil Allen↔ NYY | 27 | FA-elig | 23 | -0.6 | 0.4 | -0.6 |
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| Willie McGee | 7.1 |
| John Tudor | 6.6 |
| Ozzie Smith | 5.6 |
| Tom Herr | 5.1 |
| Andy Van Slyke | 3.4 |
| Danny Cox | 3.3 |
| Player | 1984 fWAR |
|---|---|
| — | |
What the front office was committed to as of 1985, 1985–1991. 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 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Clark | 29 | 10.000 | $1.6M | $1.3M | $1.3M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Ozzie Smith | 30 | 7.000 | $1.4M | $1.9M | $1.9M | $2.3M | $2.2M | $2.0M | $2.2M |
| Joaquin Andujar | 32 | 9.000 | $1.0M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Darrell Porter | 33 | 14.000 | $740k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Ivan De Jesus Sr. | 32 | 11.000 | $700k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Bob Forsch | 35 | 11.000 | $583k | $527k | $750k | $335k | FREE AGENT | ||
| Tom Herr | 29 | 6.000 | $560k | $750k | $925k | $745k | FREE AGENT | ||
| Bill Campbell | 36 | 12.000 | $458k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| John Tudor | 31 | 6.000 | $458k | $1.0M | $1.1M | $791k | FREE AGENT | $350k | |
| Neil Allen | 27 | 6.000 | $431k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mike Jorgensen | 36 | 17.000 | $200k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Steve Braun | 37 | 14.000 | $160k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Cesar Cedeno | 34 | 15.000 | $142k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Lonnie Smith | 29 | 7.000 | $140k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Brian Harper | 25 | 6.000 | $135k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Doug Bair | 35 | 9.000 | — | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Matt Keough | 29 | 8.000 | — | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willie McGee | 26 | 3.000 | $475k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Jeff Lahti | 28 | 3.000 | $250k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Tito Landrum | 30 | 5.000 | $209k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Ken Dayley | 26 | 3.000 | $150k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Tom Lawless | 28 | 3.000 | — | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Van Slyke | 24 | 2.000 | $170k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Terry Pendleton | 24 | 1.000 | $112k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Ricky Horton | 25 | 1.000 | $110k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Danny Cox | 25 | 2.000 | $110k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Kurt Kepshire | 25 | 1.000 | $100k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Vince Coleman | 23 | 0.000 | $60k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Joe Boever | 24 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Curt Ford | 24 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Andy Hassler | 33 | – | — | ||||||
| Art Howe | 38 | – | — | ||||||
| Randy Hunt | 25 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Michael LaValliere | 24 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Tom Nieto | 24 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Pat Perry | 26 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Todd Worrell | 25 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Cardinals 1985; 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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