Another payday has arrived for Bobby Bonilla for the New York Mets.
The team made its $1.19 million payment to the former outfielder on Monday as part of a deferred payment plan that began in 2011. He signed a five-year contract worth about $29 million, but the salary agreement deferred began about 20 years later and will continue. until 2035.
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Bobby Bonilla, #25 of the New York Mets, looks on during the game against the Montreal Expos at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York. (Getty Images)
Bonilla was eventually traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1995 and later won a World Series with the then-Florida Marlins in 1997. He had another stint with the Mets in 1999 and last played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001.
Since then, July 1 has become a reminder of the Mets' strange deal. Bonilla even appeared in a Mint Mobile commercial to mock the deal. Now, New York fans are celebrating.
“It's become kind of like my birthday, so to speak, right? It's gotten that big,” he told the New York Post. “I don't think people know the exact date of my birthday, but they certainly know when this deferred compensation comes in, so it's great in that sense.”
Bobby Bonilla, #25 of the New York Mets, argues a third strike with umpire Gary Darling in the first inning of a game against the Florida Marlins on May 10, 1993. (MARK D. PHILLIPS/AFP via Getty Images)
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As for an official date, Bonilla told the New York Post that team owner Steve Cohen had reached out to him. However, the former slugger said he's not thinking about anything until his son leaves for college.
Bonilla, 61, has been out of the league for a long time, but he still makes more money than one of the most popular quarterbacks on one of the most popular teams in the NFL.
ESPN's Adam Schefter noted that Bonilla will make more money than Brock Purdy's base salary. The San Francisco 49ers star will earn $985,000.
Brock Purdy, number 13 of the San Francisco 49ers, speaks to the media during opening night of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 5, 2024 in Las Vegas. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
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However, that salary could be his last as he enters his third season.
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