For the New York Mets and their fans, the dreaded Bobby Bonilla day has arrived. Just like every July 1 until 2035, Bonilla receives his $1,193,248.20 in deferred money. What most fans do not realize is that Bonilla is not the only one receiving deferred money.
Yes, it’s Bobby Bonilla Day, but can talk about how the Reds are still paying Ken Griffey Jr? pic.twitter.com/uo5DjWggql
— Athletics Rants #VierlingASG (@AthleticsRants) July 1, 2020
Every team in baseball has at least one deferred contract they regret. Unfortunately for the Mets, Bonilla won the grand prize for his lack of production and length of his deferred payments. In 1999, he batted just .160 in 60 games and was a huge distraction which caused the Mets to part ways with him after one season. Bonilla was no longer an issue for the Mets on the field but his journey to becoming a burden on the Mets payroll was just starting.
Other Mets With Deferred Money
Bret Saberhagen has received $250K every year since 2004 and the payments do not end until 2028. The Mets got one All-Star appearance and a 3.16 ERA over the three and a half years the control specialist spend in Queens. The Mets ended up trading Saberhagen to the Colorado Rockies for scraps.
Jeurys Familia deferred $1 million for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He will receive his money in two separate dates during 2022. Hopefully, the Mets can squeeze out production from Familia before his contract runs out.
Jacob deGrom deferred $52.5 million when he signed his contract extension. Thankfully, the Mets have already received two Cy Young season from him and expect another by the time he is done. deGrom will receive his money from 2035 to 2039. Barring injuries, this one works out well for the Mets.
David Wright has an interesting breakdown. He will receive $6 million with 2.5 percent interest compounded monthly from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2023. At the end of 2023, Wright receives full interest. Unfortunately, Wright’s body gave up on him which forced him to retire earlier than he should have.
Happy MLB Deferment Day!
This thread is dedicated to all (Bobby Bonilla is certainly not the only one) of the current and future deferred payments given to MLB players.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 1, 2019
These payments are laced throughout baseball and some work out better than others. What makes Bonilla’s the worst one is how poorly he played, how long his payments are for and the fact the contract should not have been offered to him in the first place.