Paul Skenes Sets Pre-Arbitration Bonus Record
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has set a new record by receiving $3,436,343 from this year’s pre-arbitration bonus pool. This brings his two-year total to $5,588,400, thanks to the initiative that seeks to benefit young talents. Skenes, a 23-year-old right-hander who debuted in May 2024, had a salary of $875,000 in the Major Leagues after earning $564,946 last year. He will not be eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2026 season. The previous record was held by Bobby Witt Jr., shortstop for the Kansas City Royals, who received $3,077,595 in the 2024 season. This annual bonus pool of $50 million was agreed upon by MLB and the players’ union in March 2022. Cristopher Sanchez, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, was the second to receive the highest bonus this year, with $2,678,437, after earning a bonus of $576,282 in 2024. Hunter Brown of the Houston Astros followed with $2,206,538, Bryan Woo of the Seattle Mariners with $1,540,676, and Corbin Carroll, outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, with $1,341,674, according to data compiled by Major League Baseball and the players’ association. Other players who surpassed one million dollars in bonuses were Nick Kurtz, Athletics first baseman, with $1,297,017; Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs outfielder, with $1,206,207; Drake Baldwin, Athletics catcher, with $1,175,583; Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers second baseman, with $1,155,884; and Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman, with $1,068,739. Milwaukee became the first team with 10 players earning bonuses in a year. The Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins tied for second with six players each. Brewers players accumulated the most bonus money, with $4,742,392, followed by Pittsburgh with $4,362,309 and the Athletics with $3,103,411. Several of the players who received bonuses have long-term contracts, including Carroll, Sánchez, Roman Anthony, and Ceddanne Rafaela (Boston Red Sox outfielders), Brayan Bello (Boston Red Sox pitcher), Jackson Chourio and Aaron Ashby (Milwaukee Brewers pitcher), Tanner Bibee (Cleveland Guardians pitcher), Colt Keith (Detroit Tigers infielder), and Jackson Merrill (San Diego Padres outfielder). A total of 101 players will receive payments under this plan, which aims to provide more financial resources to players who do not yet meet the service time required to be eligible for salary arbitration, which was two years and 132 days at the start of the season. Players signed as foreign professionals are not eligible.Eighteen players earned bonuses based on individual awards. An eligible player receives $2.5 million for winning the MVP or Cy Young award, $1.75 million for finishing second in the voting, $1.5 million for finishing third, $1 million for finishing fourth or fifth, or for being selected for the first All-MLB team, $750,000 for the Rookie of the Year award, and $500,000 for finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting or for being selected for the second All-MLB team.
The All-MLB teams are voted on by fans, members of the media, broadcasters, former players, and officials. A player is eligible to receive the bonus for an achievement per year, earning only the highest amount. The remaining money is allocated using a WAR formula. Daylen Lile, outfielder for the Washington Nationals, received the smallest bonus, of $150,000. Although he was not among the top 100 by WAR, he finished fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
