Have you ever dreamed of getting paid for doing nothing? I’m not talking about a boring office job where you stare at a screen. I mean really getting paid—like, every single year—for something you did years ago. Meet the baseball player who gets paid every year, and it’s weirder and cooler than you think.
Wait, does that actually happen?
Yes, it does, and it’s called a deferred contract. Basically, a team promises a player a huge sum of money, but instead of paying it all at once, they spread it out over decades. So a guy who swung a bat in the 1990s might still be cashing checks today. Imagine buying a pizza in 1998 and still getting slices delivered every spring.
Who’s the king of this money train?
The most famous example is Bobby Bonilla. He played baseball in the 80s and 90s, but every July 1st, the New York Mets send him a check for over $1.19 million. This will keep happening until 2035, when Bonilla is 72 years old. That’s like having a birthday party that lasts 25 years—except the presents are cash.
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Why did the Mets agree to this? Because in 2000, they owed Bonilla $5.9 million but wanted to save money right then. So they said, “Hey, how about we give you interest and pay you later?” Bonilla said yes, and now the Mets pay him more than some actual players. It’s the financial equivalent of skipping a workout today and paying for it with sore muscles—except the sore muscles are made of dollar bills.
But is it just Bonilla?
Not even close. Other players have similar deals. Ken Griffey Jr. gets paid by the Cincinnati Reds until 2024. Manny Ramirez still collects from the Boston Red Sox. Even Ichiro Suzuki had a deferred payment plan with the Seattle Mariners. These guys are basically living in a real-life lottery, where the winning ticket is a season of playing catch.
The whole thing feels like a time machine for money. You play baseball in your prime, then a decade later, you’re sitting on a beach while the mailman hands you a six-figure check. It’s like a retirement pension, but instead of working for 40 years, you just hit home runs and sign autographs.
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Is this a good deal for the teams?
You’d think the teams are crazy, right? But there’s a method to the madness. Teams use deferred money to free up salary cap space in the short term. They can sign other players right now and worry about the bill later. It’s like putting a fancy dinner on a credit card and paying it off over 20 years—except the dinner might be a World Series trophy.
But here’s the kicker: inflation makes these payments cheaper over time. A million dollars today is worth more than a million dollars in 2035. So the team basically bets that the dollar will shrink, while the player bets that the checks will keep coming. It’s a friendly gamble between millionaires, and we’re just here to watch.
So, what’s the coolest part?
The coolest part is that it’s a reminder that life is long. Most of us get paid for doing a job right now. But these players get paid for who they were two decades ago. Imagine if your high school prom king still got a crown every year. Or if your college roommate sent you rent money every July. It’s a tiny, weird magic trick that keeps the past alive.
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Plus, it makes you wonder: what would you do with a forever paycheck? Bonilla uses his for charity and, you know, living. Some players invest it. Others probably just look at the bank statement and laugh. It’s like a midlife surprise that never gets old.
Why should you care?
Because it’s a story about patience and cleverness. Bonilla wasn’t a superstar, but he had a good agent and a bit of luck. He turned a small pile of money into a golden goose. It’s the opposite of “get rich quick”—it’s “get rich slow, then get rich again.”
And honestly, it’s fun to imagine a world where the past isn’t gone. You screw up at work today? No worries—maybe in 2029, your boss will send you a check for old times’ sake. Probably not. But for a few baseball players, that dream is real. They get paid every year, and they don’t even have to swing a bat anymore. Just sit back, check the mailbox, and smile.