The start of July 1st means it’s time for Mets fans to celebrate a unique tradition – Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! Every year, the team presents a hefty check to its former star player, worth $1,193,248.20. This annual payment is courtesy of a 2000 agreement that bought out the remaining $5.9 million on Bonilla’s contract. The deal allowed the Mets to make payments of nearly $1.2 million annually for 25 years.
Bonilla’s situation is not unique in MLB. Other notable players, such as Bret Saberhagen and Max Scherzer, also receive deferred payments from their former teams. However, the magnitude of Bonilla’s payday stands out due to baseball’s salary structure, which often pays current young stars less than the annual amount he receives.
Notably, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani signed a $700 million contract with an unusual deferral-heavy deal, delaying payments for $680 million until 2034. In contrast, Bonilla’s payment comes from a buyout arrangement, while Ohtani’s deal was proposed by the superstar himself.
This year, several players will receive less than Bobby Bonilla’s annual payment. According to ESPN Research, these include Pete Crow-Armstrong ($771,000), James Wood ($764,600), and Max Scherzer ($105 million in total over 2028).
Source: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45590991/bobby-bonilla-day-2025-new-york-mets-pay-million-every-july-1