![- Happy Bobby Bonilla Day -](https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2313/files/2024/07/64f97fe0-bbbc-11ea-86df-31c794115f67.jpg)
The calendar has turned to July 1, and that means one thing: It’s time for Mets fans everywhere to wish each other a Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! Why? On Monday, 61-year-old Bobby Bonilla will collect a check for $1,193,248.20 from the New York Mets, as he has and will every July 1 from 2011 through 2035. Because of baseball’s salary structure, Bonilla’s annual payday is often more than some of the game’s current young stars will make in a given year. But the Mets are not alone in the practice of handing out deferred payments to star players long after they last suited up for the team, with past MVPs and Cy Young winners among the notable names still collecting annual paychecks from their previous employers. This past offseason, deferred money became an even bigger talking point across the sport with Shohei Ohtani opting for a structure with the Los Angeles Dodgers that will delay payments for $680 million of his $700 million megadeal. He’ll start receiving $68 million per year in 2034.
Comments