Bobby Bonilla Day is an unofficial sports holiday for a handful of die-hard baseball fans. The day falls on July 1 every year, which is the date Bonilla earns his $1,193,248.20 from a deferred $5.9 million payment by the Mets in 2000. He’ll earn that amount every July 1 through 2035 because of interest on the $5.9 million.
Bonilla hasn’t played in Major League Baseball since 2001, and yet his deferred payment will earn him more than Brock Purdy’s base salary for the 2024 season.
Purdy on the third year of his rookie contract carries a base salary of $985,000 according to Over the Cap. Even with his prorated $19,253 signing bonus Purdy will only count for $1,004,253 against the cap this season, well below Bonilla’s $1,193,248.20.
It doesn’t get better in the fourth and final year of Purdy’s rookie deal, where he’s due to make $1.1 million in base salary with the $19,253 signing bonus. His $1,119,253 cap hit in 2025 will still fall short of Bonilla’s yearly total.
The good news for Purdy is that he’s in line to dramatically distance himself from Bonilla’s yearly deferred total.
Bonilla, a six-time All-Star in 16 MLB seasons, made $79,555,472 in his career per Spotrac. With Purdy due for an extension next offseason he should very quickly start making a yearly amount that pushes him over Bonilla’s career earnings in just two seasons.
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