Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. tops pre-arbitration bonus pool at nearly $3.1 million

AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. topped this year’s pre-arbitration bonus pool at $3,077,595 and Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Skenes was second at $2,152,057 despite not making his big league debut until May 11.

Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson was third at $2,007,178, followed by Milwaukee catcher William Contreras at $1,722,174 and Kansas City pitcher Cole Ragans at $1,638,013, according to figures compiled by Major League Baseball and the players’ association.

Also topping $1 million were Boston outfielder Jarren Duran at $1,321,661, San Diego outfielder Jackson Merrill at $1,191,534 and New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil at $1,098,628.

Baltimore outfielder Colton Cowser was ninth at $978,671, followed by Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio at $901,335, Cincinnati shortstop Elly De La Cruz at $860,710 and Athletics reliever Mason Miller at $825,276.

MLB and the union agreed to the annual pool in their March 2022 labor settlement in an effort to get more money to younger players.

Witt, runner-up to the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge in AL MVP voting, has received $4,202,126 from the pool in its three years.

Seattle outfielder Julio Rodríguez earned $509,957 after topping the list last season. He raised his three-year total to $3,926,156.

Henderson has earned $3,435,149, Contreras $2,808,762, Carroll $2,347,870, Ragans $2,019,346, Duran $1,659,673 and De La Cruz $1,130,087.

Some of the players have long-term contracts. Witt agreed in February to an 11-year deal worth $288.7 million and Chourio, who was 10th at $901,335, agreed last December to am $82 million, eight-year deal, the largest for a player yet to make his big league debut.

A total of 101 players will receive the payments under a plan aimed to get more money to players without sufficient service time for salary arbitration eligibility going into the season, which was 2 years, 118 days. Players signed as foreign professionals are not eligible.

Milwaukee had the most players receive money with eight, followed by Detroit with seven and Arizona, Cleveland and Seattle with six each.

An eligible player receives $2.5 million for winning a MVP or Cy Young Award, $1.75 million for second in the voting, $1.5 million for third, $1 million for fourth, fifth or selection to the all-MLB first team, $750,000 for Rookie of the Year, $500,000 for second in Rookie of the Year voting or all-MLB second team.

All-MLB teams are voted by fans, media members, broadcasters, former players and officials.

A player is eligible to receive the bonus for one achievement per year, earning only the highest amount. The remaining money is allocated by a WAR formula.

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