Believe it or not, the New York Mets aren’t the only team that is still paying Bobby Bonilla a handsome amount on July 1.
It’s July 1, which of course means it’s Bobby Bonilla Day. The former standout slugger hasn’t played in an MLB game since 2001, yet he’s scheduled to be paid until he’s 72 in 2035. Talk about an incredible deal.
While it’s well known that the New York Mets have been paying him all these years, and will continue to do so, it’s not just the NL East side who is writing checks. As it happens, the Baltimore Orioles are also giving Bonilla a big chunk of change as well.
The Baltimore Orioles are also paying Bobby Bonilla every year
Unreal. Baltimore is sending Bonilla $500,000 every July 1 until 2029. Basically what happened here was that Bonilla agreed to a second deferred payment with New York and Baltimore. With this agreement, he’s indeed getting the $500,000 from the two clubs each July 1. This agreement, which started in 2004, was set for 25 years.
Whoever Bonilla’s financial advisor is – we applaud you in the biggest way possible. Back in 2000, New York decided to buy out Bonilla’s contract. They decided not to just pay him the $5.9 million, though, and agreed to pay him around $1.2 million each year for 25 years. What in the world?
That deal was of course too good for Bonilla to turn down, which is why we celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day each July 1 with a big smile on our faces. The Mets of course regret making this move, but hey, they’re good sports about things at the end of the day.
Hey, maybe they can use some of that money from the Citi Field stays to pay off Bonilla’s massive contract. We kid, we kid.