It's Time For The New York Mets' Annual Million-Dollar Giveaway

July 1 means one retired player gets $1.19 million.
New York Mets Bobby Bonilla argues a called third strike in the first inning of the 10 May 1993 game against the Florida Marlins
New York Mets Bobby Bonilla argues a called third strike in the first inning of the 10 May 1993 game against the Florida Marlins
MARK D. PHILLIPS via Getty Images

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day to all you Mets fans!

July 1 is one of the more embarrassing days of the year for the New York Mets organization. In 2000, the team agreed to pay former player Bobby Bonilla $1.19 million every year on July 1 from 2011 to 2035.

Instead of buying Bonilla out of his $5.9 million contract in 2000, the Mets came up with the brilliant idea to pay him an interest-accruing plan over the span of 25 years. Essentially, the team decided to dish out almost $30 million over an extended period of time instead of paying Bonilla $5.9 million upfront.

The craziest part about this deal is that, even though Bonilla has not played a single game since October 2001, he is still the 15th highest paid player on the club's roster. Bonilla is banking more than double what pitching ace Noah Syndergaard is making. Because that makes sense.

Before You Go

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