This is my one gripe with the ongoing joke that is Bobby Bonilla Day every year.
Yes, on July 1, the former New York Mets outfielder gets paid over a million dollars NOT to play baseball from the team and will do so through 2035. But it’s also worth noting the Baltimore Orioles pay him deferred money … and there are a BUNCH of big names who will make money from baseball teams that they don’t play for.
Yet we don’t have a Max Scherzer Day! Or a Freddie Freeman Day!
You get the picture. But just to prove my point, here are a bunch of dudes playing right now who will get deferred money, too.
1. Shohei Ohtani
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
He’ll get $680 MILLION DEFERRED!
Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract calls for him to be paid only $2 million a year for the next 10 seasons, with $680 million deferred until the end of the deal, sources confirm to ESPN.
The CBT hit on the contract is going to be around $46 million, a huge discount for L.A.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 11, 2023
2. Freddie Freeman
Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports
He’ll get a cool $4 million from the Dodgers every year from 2028 to 2040.
3. Rafael Devers
Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
He’ll get paid from 2034 through 2043 from the Boston Red Sox.
4. Mookie Betts
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Hey let’s do LOLDODGERS like we do LOLMETS, right? He’ll earn a ton of money from Los Angeles long after he retires.
5. Francisco Lindor
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
OK, fine, back to the Mets. He’ll get $5 from 2032 through 2041.
6. Edwin Diaz
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Sound the trumpets! He’ll be paid from 2033 through 2042.
7. Nolan Arenado
Zach Dalin-USA TODAY Sports
He agreed to have some of his salary from his Rockies contract deferred when he joined the Cardinals.
8. J.T. Realmuto
Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports
The Phillies catcher will get some money from the franchise in 2026 and 2027.
