James Outman, Bobby Miller Receive Bonuses For Strong Rookie Seasons
Two Dodgers rookies were among the players who will receive bonus pay for their excellent 2023 seasons, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Outfielder James Outman will receive $580,948 and pitcher Bobby Miller will receive $406,305, according to the report. The bonuses were paid out of Major League Baseball’s pre-arbitration bonus pool, a new feature of the Collective Bargaining Agreement put in place prior to the 2022 season.
No other Dodgers players will receive bonuses from the pool.
Miller, 24, went 11-4 with a 3.76 ERA in 22 starts after making his major league debut in May. A highly touted prospect, Miller stabilized a Dodgers rotation depleted by injuries and, later, the arrest of veteran pitcher Julio Urías.
The right-hander started Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. His abbreviated start in that game — 1.2 innings, 3 runs allowed — did not factor into the bonus formula.
Outman, 26, batted .248 with 23 home runs and 70 RBIs in his first full season with the Dodgers. He captured the Opening Day center fielder’s job, then overcame some midseason struggles to finish third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He also went 16-for-19 in stolen base attempts.
According to the CBA, players who are not yet eligible for salary arbitration — those with less than three years of service time, or who have not reached “Super 2” status — are eligible to receive a performance bonus based on a variety of criteria. The $50 million pool is funded by the Commissioner’s office.
Players can receive $2.5 million for winning a MVP or Cy Young Award. They can also receive a bonus of $1.75 million for finishing second, $1.5 million for third, $1 million for fourth or fifth, or being named to the all-MLB first team.
Outman received most of his bonus money for finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting; Corbin Carroll won the award, which guaranteed him at least $750,000. A player is eligible to receive a bonus for only one award per year, for the highest amount eligible.
The remaining money is distributed among the top 100 players ranked by Wins Above Replacement, using a novel WAR formula codified by the CBA.
For young players like Miller and Outman, the bonus pay is no small change. The major league minimum salary is $720,000. First-year players almost universally receive a pro-rated portion of that minimum salary for every day they’re on the major league roster.
Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
these bonuses have nothing to do with the players’ performances. still reporting sloppily.
So being rookie of the year or being in the top five for rookie of the year has NOTHING to do with performance? Mojo, you’re a different kind of special ?
Only first & second vote getters in ROY get extra bonus for that. Outman was third. Absent major award money the pool is divided based on WAR. So on that last point I stand corrected.
Gigantic James Outman fan! Such a great player! I hope he is on the schedule this coming season also..
Congrats to the two, although they’re already making at MLB minimum more than I’ve ever made, (and I wasn’t exactly minimum wage), but not much compared to big name players.
Still, nice to see performance rewarded.