Seattle Mariners' Legend Ken Griffey Jr. Got Paid $3.5 Million on Monday; Here's Why

Everyone is talking about "Bobby Bonilla Day," but they seem to forget that it's also Ken Griffey Jr. Day!

Seattle Mariners former outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr., reacts while being introduced to deliver the ceremonial first pitch ball before a game against the Kansas City Royals at T-Mobile Park in 2023. / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Former Seattle Mariners' superstar Ken Griffey Jr. received a payment of more than $3.5 million on Monday from the Cincinnati Reds.

On July 1, everyone likes to make the same "Bobby Bonilla Day" jokes, but they seem to forget that Griffey Jr. had a contract that was structured very similarly with Cincinnati.

Per @Spotrac on social media:

Happy Bobby Bonilla day to all who celebrate!

The 61-year-old bags another $1.19M from the Mets, & $500k from the Orioles today thanks to two deferred payment contracts.

The Mets deferrals run thru 2035.

54-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. receives his final $3,593,750 payment from the @Reds today stemming from a 16 year, $57.5M deferral agreement.

The Hall of Famer earned over $172M across 22 season.

54-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. receives his final $3,593,750 payment from the #Reds today stemming from a 16 year, $57.5M deferral agreement.

The Hall of Famer earned over $172M across 22 season.

— Spotrac (@spotrac) July 1, 2024

Deferred payments are nothing new in baseball, and Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers famously took massive deferrals in his deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason.

Griffey Jr. was in the same boat as Ohtani when he was playing: He was able to bring in a ton of money in endorsement deals, which helped him in the moment. He therefore was able to push some of his salary into retirement, which helped him in his post-playing career.

Sounds like a pretty great retirement plan to us!

Griffey Jr. was selected No. 1 overall by the Mariners in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft and made his debut in 1989. He became one of the best players in baseball history, hitting 630 home runs and earning induction to the Baseball of Fame in 2016. He is also a member of the Mariners Hall of Fame and is also one of the most popular baseball players in history.

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