Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. received roughly $3.08MM from the pre-arbitration bonus pool, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Pirates righty Paul Skenes ($2.15MM) and Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson ($2MM) round out the top three.
The most recent collective bargaining agreement introduced a $50MM pool that is divided among players who have yet to accrue enough service time to reach arbitration. (Each team commits around $1.67MM to that fund every season.) The goal was to help highly-performing young players get paid earlier in their careers. Players are eligible even if they’ve signed a contract extension, as Witt did before the season. Despite inking a deal approaching $289MM, he’ll pick up a little more than $3MM as a result of his fantastic ’24 campaign.
A player receives $2.5MM for winning MVP or Cy Young. They’re awarded $1.75MM for a runner-up finish, $1.5MM for third place, and $1MM for fourth or fifth place. The Rookie of the Year winner in each league gets $750K, while the runners-up pick up $500K. Players named first-team All-MLB receive $1MM; a second-team All-MLB placement is worth $500K.
Players cannot double-up on those accolades. They’re paid in line with the highest award honors they received. Witt was the MVP runner-up in the American League. Skenes finished third in Cy Young voting. Henderson placed fourth in MVP voting.
After the award money is paid out, the remaining funds are divided between the top 100 eligible players based on a predetermined Wins Above Replacement formula which was mutually approved by MLB and the Players Association. William Contreras, Cole Ragans, Jarren Duran, Jackson Merrill and Luis Gil were the other players to top $1MM this year. The Associated Press lists every player who received some money based on their WAR totals — going down to Sal Frelick at a little over $232K.
That seems very fair to me.
It is. I’m glad the bonus exists it’s to help those underpaid and even tho Witt may technically be a good value it kinda rubs me the wrong way he’s getting it instead of someone on a rookie salary still. Feel those who’ve signed extensions should be excluded. He won’t even go through arbitration so is he really pre-arb
That’s cool, I didn’t know that bonus pool was a thing.
Agreed, seems like a fair and good way to compensate stars.
However lower-level minor leaguers still need to be paid more. In my opinion, that’s the biggest financial issue in baseball right now that needs to change in the new CBA.
I remember how far apart the owners and the players were on the pool to be set aside for this. It was something like $80 million vs. $40 million at one point.
It’s cool they figured it out.
I wonder if the pool is set to increase, similar to the tax tiers.
Copilot says it stays the same year-to-year.
I am sure the MLBPA will try to negotiate higher amounts next go-round.
KC signed Witt to a guaranteed almost $300 million contract. He should pass on the bonus and let other guys receive it.
Would you?
The MLBPA probably wouldn’t allow him to do it anyway. If he felt that he didn’t “need” it he could just donate it to charity. Lots of people in North Carolina could use the help