NEW YORK — Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson is slated to receive the largest portion from this season’s $50 million pre-arbitration bonus pool based on his regular-season performance.
Henderson is projected to earn $1,325,021, calculated using WAR figures through July 7, as per a memo sent by Major League Baseball to teams, players, and agents on Thursday and obtained by The Associated Press.
Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. follows closely behind at $1,192,410, with Cincinnati shortstop Elly De La Cruz at $846,669, Cleveland outfielder Steven Kwan at $820,588, Boston outfielder Jarren Duran at $711,444, and right-hander Tanner Houck at $658,258. Royals left-hander Cole Ragans ($657,138), Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sánchez ($587,189), Baltimore infielder Jordan Westburg ($580,918), and Texas infielder Josh Smith ($574,067) round out the top earners.
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe ranks 16th with an expected bonus of $545,241, while Pittsburgh right-hander Paul Skenes is 32nd at $436,485.
Witt, De La Cruz, Henderson, Kwan, Duran, Houck, Ragans, Westburg, and Skenes have all been selected for Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
A total of 100 players will receive these bonuses, which were established under the 2022 collective bargaining agreement to provide additional compensation to players who do not yet qualify for salary arbitration due to limited major league service time. The cutoff for eligibility in 2024 was set at 2 years and 118 days of major league service.
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Players who signed as foreign professionals are excluded from these bonuses.
Last year, Henderson received $1,428,001 from the pool, with Witt earning $836,848 and Kwan receiving $477,103. Ragans received $381,333, Duran $338,012, De La Cruz $269,377, and Volpe $246,549.
Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman is expected to earn $543,319 this year after finishing third in last year’s pool with $1,798,439. He trailed Seattle outfielder Julio Rodríguez ($1,865,349) and Arizona outfielder Corbin Carroll ($1,812,337).
Rodríguez is projected to receive $234,935 this year and has a $10 million salary as part of a $209.3 million, 12-year contract.
Most young players earn salaries slightly above this year’s major league minimum of $740,000. Henderson, for example, has a $756,200 salary this year, while De La Cruz earns $742,500, Kwan $757,600, and Duran $760,000.
Witt signed an 11-year contract worth over $288.7 million, and Sánchez has a deal guaranteeing $22.5 million for 2025-28, although his salary this season is $753,500.
Under the terms of the labor agreement, a committee comprised of management and union representatives determined the WAR formula used to calculate these bonuses. An interim report is distributed the week before the All-Star Game based on the previous year’s performances.
MLB anticipates that $10.25 million of the bonus pool will be allocated to award winners, with the remaining $39.75 million distributed based on WAR.
Players receive $2.5 million for winning an MVP or Cy Young Award, $1.75 million for finishing second, $1.5 million for third, $1 million for fourth or fifth, or for making the all-MLB first team. Rookie of the Year winners earn $750,000, with $500,000 for second, $350,000 for third, $250,000 for fourth or $150,000 for fifth, or $500,000 for making the all-MLB second team.
The rookie tiers for third to fifth place are a new addition this year, with players receiving money only from their highest qualifying award if they qualify for multiple awards.