Tag: Bobby Bonilla

9 active MLB players (Shohei Ohtani!) who, like Bobby Bonilla, got deferred money

Some big names have gotten deferred money on their contracts like Bonilla did with the Mets.

Editor’s note: This post is from 2022, but we’ve updated it after the Shohei Ohtani news.

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day to all who celebrate.

It’s July 1, and that means it’s the annual day on which former MLB outfielder Bobby Bonilla collected just over $1.19 million from the New York Mets, which he’ll do until 2035.

That date has become the time when everyone LOLMETS on Twitter, but here’s the thing: Plenty of other players have gotten deferred money on their contracts and continue to do so. In a funny way, it’s ridiculous to make fun of the Mets for doing something that’s still being practiced (also, it really worked out for the Mets!!).

So let’s go over some current players with Bonilla-like deferred money (all numbers via Spotrac):

Bobbly Bonilla day, explained: Here’s why MLB fans celebrate the former All-Star every July 1

Bobby Bonilla. Baseball’s master of finesse.

Bobby Bonilla is the finesse king, folks. This man hasn’t played baseball in over two decades at this point. Yet he is still being paid by the New York Mets.

That’s how you do it, folks. That’s why today is Bobby Bonilla day.

This is the day that everyone pauses for a second and laughs at Mets for agreeing to something this silly. The team still somehow owes Bonilla millions of dollars in deferred money more than a decade after they’d started paying him again.

If you’re confused about why this is a thing, don’t worry. We’re breaking it all down right here for you.

Here’s why we all celebrate the king of finesse, Bobby Bonilla.

Bobby Bonilla Day 2023: How much he’s earned after retiring through 2023

A reminder that Bobby Bonilla makes so much money on July 1, long after retiring.

It’s July 1, which means it’s time for Bobby Bonilla to get his annual payment of over $1 million from the New York Mets (and he also gets money from the Baltimore Orioles, did you know that?) and for everyone on Twitter to celebrate together, although deferred payments are very much a thing still.

If you’re wondering how much he’s been paid so far to NOT play baseball after he retired, you’ve come to the right place. Per Spotrac, he gets $500,000 a year from the O’s and $1,193,248 from the Mets.

The payments started in 2004 from the Orioles and 2011 from the Mets. The current tally? He’s made $25,512,224 so far.

The Baltimore payments stop in 2028, and the Mets’ in 2035. He’ll earn $16,818,976 by then, for a total of $42,331,200.

What a way to make a living!

The Bobby Bonilla All-Stars: A starting lineup of star players getting deferred money like him

Bobby Bonilla isn’t the only player making money long after he retired.

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day to all who celebrate and make memes.

Because July 1 is the day in which the former New York Mets outfielder gets paid a cool $1.19 million by the franchise in deferred money — although he ALSO gets $500,000 from the Baltimore Orioles! — and everyone makes jokes.

But we like to remind you that there are others who get paid, both active players and some like Ken Griffey Jr. who are long retired.

So we decided to put together an All-Star team of star players who, like Bonilla and others, will get paid a lot after they’re done or are already making that money:

Bobby Bonilla Day, explained: Why MLB fans celebrate every July 1

Wondering what Bobby Bonilla Day is all about? We have you covered.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Wondering why former MLB outfielder Bobby Bonilla is trending on Twitter and everywhere else on July 1? We’re here to help.

[Editor’s note: This post is from 2022 but we’re bringing it back for Bobby Bonilla Day 2023]

Yes, it’s Bobby Bonilla Day, a “holiday” of sorts celebrated everywhere by baseball fans, who use memes and jokes to talk about how the New York Mets (but there’s another team who does this) pay someone who hasn’t been on the field since 2001 over a million dollars every year for a while.

What’s the deal here? Let’s break it down for you:

A reminder that Bobby Bonilla gets paid every year by another MLB team besides the Mets

Everyone makes fun of the Mets, but another franchise is paying Bonilla in retirement.

This post is from 2020 but we’re republishing it on Bobby Bonilla Day 2023.

It’s July 1, which means MLB fans will spend the day dunking on the New York Mets for paying Bobby Bonilla over $1 million a year long after the outfielder retired, despite the fact that this has worked out well for the Mets and other teams are doing the same thing with players through today.

But: Did you know the Mets aren’t the only team paying Bonilla? Bet you didn’t!

The Baltimore Orioles are also on the hook for $500,000 a year through 2028. The Mets will pay him through 2035, but the point here is maybe you should hold off on those LOLMETS tweets for now.

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Bobby Bonilla Day: 8 other MLB players getting paid while not playing

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day!

This post is from 2022 but we’re republishing it on Bobby Bonilla Day 2023.

July 1 always marks Bobby Bonilla Day, the annual reminder that the New York Mets pay the former slugger $1.19 million a year in deferred money until 2035. In other words, he’s gotten paid a huge salary for a bunch of years NOT to play baseball.

It means Bonilla’s name trends everywhere and everyone gets to make fun of the Mets, although we’ve written about how it’s actually a pretty good deal for the franchise.

On top of that, Bonilla isn’t the only player getting deferred money not to play. Here’s a list of those MLB players (all contract information courtesy of Spotrac).

Ken Griffey Jr. is one of Reds’ highest-paid players in 2023 more than a decade after retiring

“The Natural” is still winning years after his career ended.

Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the greatest pure hitters in history and a Baseball Hall of Famer. And these days, after more than a decade away from the MLB, he’s just basking in deserved retirement, occasionally stealing the show in batting practices.

But thanks to deferred money on a contract signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 2000, “The Kid” is probably winning a lot more than we expected. Almost as much as Bobby Bonilla on his celebrated day every July.

As MLB Opening Day nears, with a $3.59 million deferred payment, Griffey Jr. will officially be the Reds’ fourth-highest-paid player in 2023. That’s right. The 53-year-old Griffey Jr. will be near the top of Cincinnati’s payroll roughly 15 years after he last played for the franchise.

We joyfully appreciate Bobby Bonilla Day every summer for the deferred payments he gets from the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles. Maybe we should start doing the same for Griffey Jr. — at least in this instance.

It’s only fair!

MORE BASEBALL:

Bobby Bonilla’s infamous contract is up for auction, but no, you won’t also get an annual $1.19 million payday

It really belongs in Cooperstown

Bobby Bonilla, the patron saint of getting paid to do nothing, has one of the greatest contracts in baseball history.

Thanks to a horrible bet by the New York Mets’ front office, and the Wilpons severely misplaced trust in Bernie Madoff, every July 1 Bonilla collects a paycheck of $1,193,248.00 despite having officially retired in 2001. He’ll continue to receive those checks every year through 2036—when he’s 73 years old.

Well, now one lucky—and wealthy—Bobby Bonilla fan can own a piece of infamous baseball history: the contract agreement that created Bobby Bonilla Day.

Goldin Auctions is listing a copy of the contract as part of a complete Bonilla experience with bidding set to open at $10,000.

Here’s the lot description:

Presented is a “Bobby Bonilla Day” experience, which is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend the day with the one and only Bobby Bonilla. The winner will get Bonilla’s copy of the iconic 6-page “Deferred Compensation Agreement” that was signed by Bonilla and Joe McIlvaine, who was the Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations of the New York Mets when this agreement was executed. This contract has been authenticated by Beckett Authentication, who is issuing a LOA. The winner will also go to breakfast with him, head to Citi Field for a New York Mets game, where you will watch batting practice on the field with Bobby, and enjoy the game with him, and cap off your day with dinner. This will all take place at a future date in 2023.

The winner will also receive:

  • A 30-minute Zoom call with Bobby Bonilla
  • A 30-minute Zoom call with Dennis Gilbert (the agent who brokered Bonilla’s deferment deal)
  • A signed baseball from Bobby Bonilla’s personal collection
  • A game-used bat from Bobby Bonilla’s personal collection
  • Bobby Bonilla NFT.

It’s unclear exactly what Dennis Gilbert is going to talk about for 30 minutes, but he did formerly represent Barry Bonds, George Brett and Jose Canseco, so maybe he’s got some good stories to share.

Let the bidding begin!

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MLB fans had so many memes for Bobby Bonilla Day as the Mets pay him again

MLB fans celebrated Bobby Bonilla Day with all the memes.

With the calendar turning to July, that can mean only one thing: It’s the first of the month, and it’s Bobby Bonilla Day.

That’s the day on which the former MLB outfielder receives over $1 million from the New York Mets in deferred salary, which he’ll get for another decade-plus (although, it worked out for the Mets and they’re not the only team paying him in retirement).

What’s funny to me about it is that other players — both active and retired MLB stars — have gotten deferred money. But that hasn’t stopped anyone on Twitter from using memes to celebrate.

Here’s a roundup from Friday morning: