Five Diamondbacks Receive Pre-Arbitration Bonus in 2024

Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy, Geraldo Perdomo, Ryne Nelson, and Brandon Pfaadt are the D-backs recipients of the Pre Arb bonus pool in 2024

Sep 8, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Jake McCarthy (31) smiles in the dugout after scoring during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Starting in 2022, Major League Baseball instituted a pre-arbitration bonus pool of $50 million dollars as a means to direct more money to those players not yet eligible for salary arbitration. The bonus pool was set up as a result of the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the Players Association that runs from 2022-2026.

Each team pays in $1.67 million to the pool. Eligible, pre arbitration players are awarded first based on how they place in the various awards. MVP and Cy Young winners received $2.5 million, with $1.7 for second, $1.5 for third, and $1.0 million for fourth, fifth, or All MLB Team.

There is also an award for $750 thousand for winning Rookie of the year, and $500 thousand for placing second. A player is only eligible for the highest award for which he is qualifies, so for example if a player won Rookie of the Year and also made the all MLB Team, they would get the $1 million award for making All MLB Team, but not the $750 K for ROY.

The remaining funds are then distributed to the top 100 players according to MLB's proprietary WAR (Wins Above Replacement) formula. In 2024 five Arizona Diamondbacks players were eligible for a portion of this pool money.

Those players are Corbin Carroll $535,533, Jake McCarthy $414,638, Geraldo Perdomo $277,498, Ryne Nelson $274,561 and Brandon Pfaadt $271,783

The three highest awards in MLB in 2024 went to Bobby Witt Jr. $3,077,595, Paul Skenes $2,152,057, and Gunnar Henderson $2,007,178.

In 2023 three Diamondbacks received a share of this bonus pool, Carroll, Perdomo, and Gabriel Moreno. Carroll's award last year was $1.812 million due to also winning NL Rookie of the Year.

This bonus pool represents a significant increase for most of the pre arbitration players. While some players, such as Carroll, have signed contract extensions with large bonuses and quick escalators in their contracts, most must wade through MLB's system of control and pre arbitration wages.

For McCarthy, this bonus works out to a 50% increase over his base salary, while Perdomo, Nelson, and Pfaadt are getting 35-36% bumps. While these numbers are still significantly lower than players typically receive in arbitration and free agency, they are quite meaningful for these young players.

D-backs Pre Arb Bonus Plus Base Salary 2024 / Jack Sommers

See the links highlighted in blue for more information regarding service time, and salary arbitration