GM: Walt Jocketty
2000: made playoffs · 95–67. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Edmonds | 30 | FA-elig | 152 | 6.5 | 4.5 | +4.7 |
| Mark McGwire | 36 | FA-elig | 89 | 4.6 | 9.3 | -2.8 |
| Darryl Kile | 31 | FA-elig | 34 | 4.4 | 7.4 | -1.2 |
| J.D. Drew | 24 | pre-arb | 135 | 3.8 | 1.8 | +3.6 |
| Rick Ankiel | 20 | pre-arb | 35 | 3.4 | 0.2 | +4.6 |
| Fernando Viña | 31 | FA-elig | 123 | 3.1 | 2.3 | +2.1 |
| Mike Matheny | 29 | FA-elig | 128 | 2.3 | 0.8 | +2.6 |
| Will Clark↔ BAL | 36 | FA-elig | 51 | 2.2 | 2.4 | +0.7 |
| Pat Hentgen | 31 | FA-elig | 33 | 2.1 | 6.0 | -3.1 |
| Edgar Renteria | 23 | arb | 150 | 2.0 | 2.2 | +0.6 |
| Placido Polanco | 24 | pre-arb | 118 | 2.0 | 0.2 | +2.7 |
| Fernando Tatis | 25 | arb | 96 | 1.8 | 0.8 | +1.8 |
| Garrett Stephenson | 28 | arb | 32 | 1.7 | 0.6 | +1.8 |
| Dave Veres | 33 | FA-elig | 71 | 1.5 | 1.4 | +0.7 |
| Ray Lankford | 33 | FA-elig | 128 | 1.4 | 7.6 | -5.6 |
| Andy Benes | 32 | FA-elig | 30 | 1.4 | 2.9 | -0.9 |
| Eric Davis | 38 | FA-elig | 92 | 1.3 | 4.4 | -2.6 |
| Matt Morris | 25 | arb | 32 | 1.0 | 0.6 | +0.8 |
| Eli Marrero | 26 | arb | 53 | 0.6 | 0.2 | +0.7 |
| Britt Reames | 26 | – | 10 | 0.5 | – | – |
| Eduardo Perez | 30 | – | 35 | 0.5 | – | – |
| Shawon Dunston | 37 | FA-elig | 98 | 0.5 | 0.6 | +0.0 |
| Keith McDonald | 27 | – | 6 | 0.3 | – | – |
| Jason Christiansen↔ PIT | 30 | arb | 21 | 0.3 | 0.3 | +0.1 |
| Mike Timlin↔ BAL | 34 | FA-elig | 25 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -1.4 |
| Mike James | 32 | – | 52 | 0.1 | – | – |
| Carlos Hernandez↔ SDP | 33 | FA-elig | 17 | 0.1 | 0.4 | -0.3 |
| Justin Brunette | 24 | – | 4 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Larry Sutton | 30 | – | 23 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Rick Wilkins | 33 | – | 4 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Scott Radinsky | 32 | FA-elig | 1 | 0.0 | 2.5 | -2.5 |
| Jose Rodriguez | 25 | – | 6 | -0.0 | – | – |
| Luther Hackman | 25 | – | 1 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Mike Mohler↔ CLE | 31 | FA-elig | 22 | -0.1 | 0.6 | -0.7 |
| Alan Benes | 28 | – | 30 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Luis Saturria | 23 | – | 12 | -0.1 | – | – |
| Darren Holmes↔ ARI | 34 | FA-elig | 5 | -0.1 | 0.5 | -0.7 |
| Chris Richard↔ BAL | 26 | pre-arb | 6 | -0.1 | 0.0 | -0.2 |
| David Wainhouse | 32 | FA-elig | 9 | -0.1 | 0.2 | -0.4 |
| Mike Matthews | 26 | – | 14 | -0.2 | – | – |
| Mark Thompson | 29 | FA-elig | 20 | -0.2 | 0.4 | -0.7 |
| Jesse Orosco | 43 | FA-elig | 6 | -0.2 | 1.1 | -1.4 |
| Heathcliff Slocumb↔ SDP | 34 | FA-elig | 44 | -0.3 | 1.1 | -1.5 |
| Craig Paquette | 31 | FA-elig | 134 | -0.4 | 0.6 | -1.1 |
| Gene Stechschulte | 26 | – | 20 | -0.5 | – | – |
| Thomas Howard | 35 | FA-elig | 86 | -0.8 | 0.7 | -1.8 |
| Player | fWAR |
|---|---|
| Jim Edmonds | 6.5 |
| Darryl Kile | 4.4 |
| Fernando Viña | 3.1 |
| Mike Matheny | 2.3 |
| Will Clark | 2.2 |
| Pat Hentgen | 2.1 |
| Player | 1999 fWAR |
|---|---|
| Darren Oliver | 4.1 |
| Kent Bottenfield | 2.2 |
| Jose Jimenez | 2.0 |
| Joe McEwing | 1.7 |
| Darren Bragg | 1.1 |
| Alberto Castillo | 1.1 |
What the front office was committed to as of 2000, 2000–2006. 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 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark McGwire | 36 | 14.000 | $9.3M | $11.0M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Ray Lankford | 33 | 10.000 | $7.6M | $5.6M | FREE AGENT | $650k | |||
| Darryl Kile | 31 | 9.000 | $7.4M | $6.7M | $7.2M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Pat Hentgen | 31 | 9.000 | $6.0M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Jim Edmonds | 30 | 7.000 | $4.5M | $6.3M | $7.3M | $8.3M | $9.3M | $10.3M | $12.1M |
| Eric Davis | 38 | 16.000 | $4.4M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Andy Benes | 32 | 11.000 | $2.9M | $6.7M | $6.4M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Scott Radinsky | 32 | 10.000 | $2.5M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Will Clark | 36 | 14.000 | $2.4M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Fernando Viña | 31 | 7.000 | $2.3M | $4.3M | $4.3M | $5.3M | FREE AGENT | ||
| Mike Timlin | 34 | 9.000 | $1.7M | $4.2M | $3.1M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Dave Veres | 33 | 6.000 | $1.4M | $1.9M | $4.2M | FREE AGENT | |||
| Jesse Orosco | 43 | 21.000 | $1.1M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Heathcliff Slocumb | 34 | 9.000 | $1.1M | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mike Matheny | 29 | 6.000 | $750k | $900k | $2.5M | $3.2M | $4.0M | FREE AGENT | |
| Thomas Howard | 35 | 10.000 | $650k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mike Mohler | 31 | 7.000 | $632k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Shawon Dunston | 37 | 15.000 | $600k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Craig Paquette | 31 | 7.000 | $595k | $1.5M | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Darren Holmes | 34 | 10.000 | $532k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mark Thompson | 29 | 6.000 | $400k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Carlos Hernandez | 33 | 10.000 | $397k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| David Wainhouse | 32 | 9.000 | $250k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Eduardo Perez | 30 | 7.000 | — | FREE AGENT | $450k | $500k | |||
| Rick Wilkins | 33 | 9.000 | — | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgar Renteria | 23 | 4.000 | $2.2M | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Fernando Tatis | 25 | 3.000 | $750k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Matt Morris | 25 | 3.000 | $550k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Garrett Stephenson | 28 | 4.000 | $550k | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||||
| Jason Christiansen | 30 | 5.000 | $323k | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Eli Marrero | 26 | 3.000 | $240k | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |||
| Alan Benes | 28 | 5.000 | — | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Mike James | 32 | 5.000 | — | FREE AGENT | |||||
| Larry Sutton | 30 | 3.000 | — | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Player | Age | Svc | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.D. Drew | 24 | 2.000 | $1.8M | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Placido Polanco | 24 | 2.000 | $220k | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | ||
| Rick Ankiel | 20 | 1.000 | $202k | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Chris Richard | 26 | 0.000 | $19k | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Mike Matthews | 26 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Keith McDonald | 27 | – | — | ||||||
| Luis Saturria | 23 | – | — | ||||||
| Luther Hackman | 25 | 1.000 | — | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT | |
| Justin Brunette | 24 | – | — | ||||||
| Gene Stechschulte | 26 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
| Jose Rodriguez | 25 | – | — | ||||||
| Britt Reames | 26 | 0.000 | — | Pre-Arb | Pre-Arb | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | FREE AGENT |
Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Cardinals 2000; 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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