Bobby Bonilla Day: New York Mets pay him $1.19M each July 1

The calendar has turned to July 1, and which means one factor: It is time for Mets followers in all places to want one another a Completely happy Bobby Bonilla Day! Why? On Tuesday, 62-year-old Bobby Bonilla will accumulate a examine for $1,193,248.20 from the New York Mets, as he has and can each July 1 from 2011 by means of 2035.

Due to baseball’s wage construction, Bonilla’s annual payday is usually greater than a few of the sport’s present younger stars will make in a given yr.

However the Mets are usually not alone within the follow of handing out deferred funds to star gamers lengthy after they final suited up for the crew, with previous MVPs and Cy Younger winners among the many notable names nonetheless gathering annual paychecks from their earlier employers.

This previous offseason, deferred cash grew to become an excellent greater speaking level throughout the game with the Los Angeles Dodgers incessantly choosing the construction, highlighted by a cope with Shohei Ohtani that can delay funds for $680 million of his $700 million megadeal. He’ll begin receiving $68 million per yr in 2034.

Right here is all the things that you must learn about Bonilla’s payday, deferred cash in MLB and the present gamers making much less for the 2025 season than Bobby Bo will obtain from the Mets on Saturday.

So why does Bonilla get this payday?

In 2000, the Mets agreed to purchase out the remaining $5.9 million on Bonilla’s contract.

Nonetheless, as a substitute of paying Bonilla the $5.9 million on the time, the Mets agreed to make annual funds of practically $1.2 million for 25 years beginning July 1, 2011, together with a negotiated 8% curiosity.

On the time, Mets possession was invested in a Bernie Madoff account that promised double-digit returns, and the Mets have been poised to make a big revenue if the Madoff account delivered — however that didn’t work out.

Below new proprietor Steve Cohen, who mentioned the possibility of celebrating Bonilla at Citi Discipline yearly quickly after taking on the crew, the Mets have embraced Bonilla’s day.

How uncommon is that this association?

Bonilla final performed for the Mets in 1999 and final performed within the majors for the Cardinals in 2001, however he can be paid by means of 2035 (when he’ll be 72).

Listed below are another notable deferred-money contracts, courtesy of ESPN Analysis:

• Bobby Bonilla (once more): A second deferred-contract plan with the Mets and Orioles pays him $500,000 a yr for 25 years. These funds started in 2004.

• Bret Saberhagen: Will obtain $250,000 a yr from the Mets for 25 years (funds additionally started in 2004; this was the inspiration for Bonilla’s deal).

• Max Scherzer: Will obtain $105 million complete from the Nationals that can be paid out by means of 2028.

• Manny Ramírez: Will accumulate $24.2 million complete from the Purple Sox by means of 2026.

• Chris Davis: Davis’ association with the Orioles would possibly make him the brand new Bonilla, as he collects $59 million in deferred funds throughout a 15-year stretch that began final yr and continues by means of 2037. Davis obtained $9.16 million in 2024 and can once more in 2025, then he’ll accumulate $3.5 million from 2026 to 2032 and $1.4 million from 2033 to 2037.

How does Bonilla’s deal examine to Ohtani’s contract?

The most important distinction within the two deferral-heavy offers is that Bonilla’s got here as the results of a buyout by the Mets for an underperforming veteran, whereas Ohtani’s wage association was proposed by a celebrity on the top of his free company.

In his unprecedented contract, Ohtani is being paid simply $2 million yearly through the 10-year size of his cope with the Dodgers. From 2034 to 2043, Ohtani will obtain $68 million per yr. The parameters of the association enable the Dodgers extra short-term flexibility whereas additionally reducing the crew’s aggressive steadiness tax burden with solely the present-day worth ($46 million per yr) of the contract counting towards L.A.’s CBT payroll.

How Bonilla’s cost compares to 2025 MLB salaries

As a result of baseball’s wage construction has younger gamers begin their careers by incomes simply over half of Bonilla’s annual $1.19 million, the next gamers can be making lower than Bonilla this season (listed so as of 2025 Fangraphs WAR coming into Monday’s video games):

Pete Crow-Armstrong — $771,000 (3.9 WAR)

James Wood — $764,600 (3.5 WAR)

Paul Skenes — $875,000 (3.4 WAR)

Riley Greene — $812,400 (3.0 WAR)

Hunter Brown — $807,400 (3.0 WAR)

Andy Pages — $770,000 (2.9 WAR)

Jacob Wilson — $760,000 (2.8 WAR)

Figures from ESPN Analysis have been used all through this story.