Each club's 2022 MLB Draft bonus pools and pick values
Jim Callis
@JimCallisMLBThe Orioles not only had the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 Draft, but they also have the second-largest bonus pool in Draft history.
Baltimore's top selection comes with an assigned value of $8,846,900, the second-highest since the bonus pool era began in 2012, trailing only the $9,015,000 worth of the Phillies' No. 1 overall choice in 2016. The Orioles' picks in each of the first 10 rounds, combined with competitive-balance choices at No. 33 (its own) and No. 67 (acquired from the Marlins in a trade for Tanner Scott and Cole Sulser), add up to a combined value of $16,933,000. That amount trails only the Astros in '15, who had the two of the first five selections and a $17,289,200 pool.
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As part of the negotiations for the 2020 season, which was radically altered by the coronavirus pandemic, MLB and the MLBPA agreed to freeze the '19 bonus slots for both the '20 and '21 Drafts. The slots have increased by slightly more than 5 percent for '22 and will continue to rise at the same rate as MLB revenues.
In addition to the Orioles, 11 other teams have eight-figure bonus pools: the D-backs ($15,120,200), Mets ($13,963,000), Pirates ($13,741,300), Rockies ($13,667,800), Nationals ($11,013,900), Reds ($10,799,700), Marlins ($10,491,700), Braves ($10,229,600) Cubs ($10,098,100), Padres ($10,094,200) and Twins ($10,041,500). The Dodgers, who saw their top pick drop from 30 to 40 as a penalty for exceeding the competitive balance tax threshold -- and forfeited two other selections for signing free agent Freddie Freeman -- have the smallest pool at $4,223,800.
The pools for all 30 clubs total $280,000,000, up from $265,769,400 in 2021. The overall pool was initially set at $279,850,600 in April, but in June, MLB and the MLBPA agreed to an increase of 0.05%, which was distributed across all picks.
Last year, teams spent $291,408,490 on Draft bonuses, including $32,540,100 after the 10th round. No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis signed with the Pirates for $6,500,000, while No. 2 choice Jack Leiter of the Rangers received the highest bonus in the '21 Draft at $7,922,000.
Each choice in the first 10 rounds comes with an assigned value, with the total for a club's selections equaling what it can spend in those rounds without incurring a penalty. If a player taken in the top 10 rounds doesn't sign, his pick's value gets subtracted from his team's pool. Clubs near the top of the Draft often spend less than the assigned value for those choices and use the savings to offer more money to later selections.
Teams that exceed their bonus pool face a penalty. Clubs that outspend their allotment by 0-5 percent pay a 75 percent tax on the overage. At higher thresholds, clubs lose future picks: a first-rounder and a 75 percent tax for surpassing their pool by more than 5 and up to 10 percent; a first- and a second-rounder and a 100 percent tax for more than 10 and up to 15 percent; and two first-rounders and a 100 percent tax for more than 15 percent.
In 10 Drafts with bonus pool rules, teams have outspent their allotments a total of 172 times, but never by more than 5 percent. The Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers and Giants have done so every year, and 20 of the 30 teams outspent their pools in 2021.
Bonus pools by club:
Orioles: $16,933,000
D-backs: $15,120,200
Mets: $13,963,000
Pirates: $13,741,300
Rockies: $13,667,800
Nationals: $11,013,900
Reds: $10,799,700
Marlins: $10,491,700
Braves: $10,229,600
Cubs: $10,098,100
Padres: $10,094,200
Twins: $10,041,500
Guardians: $9,986,200
Rangers: $9,646,000
Royals: $9,471,200
Blue Jays: $8,372,100
Athletics: $8,320,200
Red Sox: $8,082,600
Tigers: $8,029,300
Rays: $7,799,200
Mariners: $7,258,200
Brewers: $7,074,700
Angels: $7,028,100
Cardinals: $6,845,900
Astros: $6,840,600
Yankees: $6,428,600
Phillies: $6,310,400
White Sox: $6,292,500
Giants: $5,796,400
Dodgers: $4,223,800
First round:
- Orioles: $8,846,900
- D-backs: $8,189,400
- Rangers: $7,591,600
- Pirates: $7,005,800
- Nationals: $6,497,700
- Marlins: $6,037,500
- Cubs: $5,711,000
- Twins: $5,442,400
- Royals: $5,202,900
- Rockies: $4,983,000
- Mets: $4,780,700
- Tigers: $4,590,300
- Angels: $4,412,500
- Mets: $4,243,800
- Padres: $4,085,000
- Guardians: $3,937,600
- Phillies: $3,794,800
- Reds: $3,659,800
- Athletics: $3,531,200
- Braves: $3,409,200
- Mariners: $3,292,900
- Cardinals: $3,182,200
- Blue Jays: $3,076,900
- Red Sox: $2,976,400
- Yankees: $2,880,800
- White Sox: $2,789,400
- Brewers: $2,701,900
- Astros: $2,621,700
- Rays: $2,548,900
- Giants: $2,486,800
Free Agent Compensation Picks:
31) Rockies: $2,430,500
32) Reds: $2,373,000
Competitive Balance Round A:
33) Orioles: $2,315,100
34) D-backs: $2,258,300
35) Braves: $2,203,200 (received from the Royals via trade)
36) Pirates: $2,150,300
37) Guardians: $2,101,800
38) Rockies: $2,052,300
39) Padres: $2,004,500
Second round:
40) Dodgers: $1,951,900
41) Red Sox: $1,906,500
42) Orioles: $1,861,900
43) D-backs: $1,818,500
44) Pirates: $1,776,100
45) Nationals: $1,734,800
46) Marlins: $1,700,400
47) Cubs: $1,661,200
48) Twins: $1,622,700
49) Royals: $1,584,900
50) Rockies: $1,545,300
51) Tigers: $1,510,600
52) Mets: $1,475,100
53) Padres: $1,440,600
54) Guardians: $1,407,100
55) Reds: $1,374,000
56) Athletics: $1,341,900
57) Braves: $1,307,300
58) Mariners: $1,276,500
59) Cardinals: $1,246,200
60) Blue Jays: $1,216,700
61) Yankees: $1,187,600
62) White Sox: $1,159,200
63) Brewers: $1,131,500
64) Astros: $1,104,100
65) Rays: $1,077,600
66) Giants: $1,054,700
Free Agent Compensation Picks:
75) Mets: $873,700
76) Braves: $860,100
77) Blue Jays: $846,900
78) Blue Jays: $833,600
79) Red Sox: $820,400
80) Astros: $807,200
Third round:
81) Orioles: $794,000
82) D-backs: $782,400
83) Pirates: $770,700
84) Nationals: $758,900
85) Marlins: $747,100
86) Cubs: $735,500
87) Royals: $724,600
88) Rockies: $713,300
89) Angels: $702,100
90) Mets: $691,300
91) Padres: $680,400
92) Guardians: $670,200
93) Phillies: $660,100
94) Reds: $649,900
95) Athletics: $642,100
96) Braves: $635,800
97) Cardinals: $629,800
98) Blue Jays: $623,500
99) Red Sox: $617,500
100) Yankees: $611,400
101) White Sox: $606,600
102) Brewers: $600,700
103) Astros: $594,600
104) Rays: $588,700
105) Dodgers: $582,700
106) Giants: $577,200
Fourth round:
107) Orioles: $571,400
108) D-backs: $565,800
109) Rangers: $560,200
110) Pirates: $554,800
111) Nationals: $549,300
112) Marlins: $543,800
113) Cubs: $538,600
114) Twins: $533,300
115) Royals: $528,000
116) Rockies: $522,900
117) Tigers: $517,900
118) Angels: $512,900
119) Mets: $507,700
120) Padres: $502,800
121) Guardians: $497,900
122) Phillies: $493,000
123) Reds: $488,300
124) Athletics: $483,500
125) Braves: $478,900
126) Mariners: $474,900
127) Cardinals: $470,300
128) Blue Jays: $465,600
129) Red Sox: $461,200
130) Yankees: $456,500
131) White Sox: $452,900
132) Brewers: $448,400
133) Astros: $443,900
134) Rays: $439,600
135) Dodgers: $435,200
136) Giants: $431,100
Fifth round:
137) Orioles: $426,800
138) D-backs: $422,600
139) Rangers: $418,500
140) Pirates: $414,600
141) Nationals: $410,500
142) Marlins: $406,500
143) Cubs: $402,400
144) Twins: $398,500
145) Royals: $394,500
146) Rockies: $390,800
147) Tigers: $386,900
148) Angels: $383,200
149) Mets: $379,400
150) Padres: $375,500
151) Guardians: $371,800
152) Phillies: $368,300
153) Reds: $364,600
154) Athletics: $361,000
155) Braves: $357,400
156) Mariners: $353,900
157) Cardinals: $350,400
158) Blue Jays: $347,000
159) Red Sox: $344,000
160) Yankees: $340,700
161) White Sox: $337,600
162) Brewers: $334,500
163) Astros: $331,600
164) Rays: $328,400
165) Dodgers: $325,400
166) Giants: $322,600
Sixth round:
167) Orioles: $319,800
168) D-backs: $317,100
169) Rangers: $314,400
170) Pirates: $311,600
171) Nationals: $308,900
172) Marlins: $306,400
173) Cubs: $303,900
174) Twins: $301,200
175) Royals: $298,800
176) Rockies: $296,300
177) Tigers: $293,900
178) Angels: $291,400
179) Mets: $288,900
180) Padres: $286,500
181) Guardians: $284,200
182) Phillies: $282,000
183) Reds: $279,700
184) Athletics: $277,300
185) Braves: $275,100
186) Mariners: $272,800
187) Cardinals: $270,700
188) Blue Jays: $268,500
189) Red Sox: $266,400
190) Yankees: $264,000
191) White Sox: $261,800
192) Brewers: $259,700
193) Astros: $257,500
194) Rays: $255,500
195) Dodgers: $253,400
196) Giants: $251,300
Seventh round:
197) Orioles: $249,200
198) D-backs: $247,200
199) Rangers: $245,000
200) Pirates: $243,000
201) Nationals: $241,600
202) Marlins: $239,500
203) Cubs: $237,500
204) Twins: $235,600
205) Royals: $233,600
206) Rockies: $231,600
207) Tigers: $229,800
208) Angels: $227,800
209) Mets: $226,000
210) Padres: $224,300
211) Guardians: $222,400
212) Phillies: $220,600
213) Reds: $219,000
214) Athletics: $217,200
215) Braves: $215,400
216) Mariners: $213,900
217) Cardinals: $212,000
218) Blue Jays: $210,500
219) Red Sox: $208,800
220) Yankees: $207,500
221) White Sox: $205,800
222) Brewers: $204,500
223) Astros: $202,900
224) Rays: $201,400
225) Dodgers: $199,900
226) Giants: $198,700
Eighth round:
227) Orioles: $197,400
228) D-backs: $196,000
229) Rangers: $194,300
230) Pirates: $193,200
231) Nationals: $191,700
232) Marlins: $190,600
233) Cubs: $189,100
234) Twins: $187,900
235) Royals: $186,500
236) Rockies: $185,300
237) Tigers: $184,000
238) Angels: $182,900
239) Mets: $181,900
240) Padres: $180,900
241) Guardians: $180,000
242) Phillies: $179,000
243) Reds: $178,200
244) Athletics: $177,100
245) Braves: $176,400
246) Mariners: $175,600
247) Cardinals: $174,600
248) Blue Jays: $173,900
249) Red Sox: $173,200
250) Yankees: $172,300
251) White Sox: $171,800
252) Brewers: $171,100
253) Astros: $170,300
254) Rays: $169,700
255) Dodgers: $169,100
256) Giants: $168,500
Ninth round:
257) Orioles: $167,900
258) D-backs: $167,400
259) Rangers: $166,700
260) Pirates: $166,200
261) Nationals: $165,700
262) Marlins: $165,300
263) Cubs: $164,600
264) Twins: $164,100
265) Royals: $163,800
266) Rockies: $163,300
267) Tigers: $162,900
268) Angels: $162,500
269) Mets: $162,000
270) Padres: $161,500
271) Guardians: $161,200
272) Phillies: $160,800
273) Reds: $160,400
274) Athletics: $160,100
275) Braves: $159,800
276) Mariners: $159,400
277) Cardinals: $159,100
278) Blue Jays: $158,600
279) Red Sox: $158,200
280) Yankees: $158,000
281) White Sox: $157,800
282) Brewers: $157,500
283) Astros: $157,200
284) Rays: $157,000
285) Dodgers: $156,600
286) Giants: $156,000
Tenth round:
287) Orioles: $155,800
288) D-backs: $155,500
289) Rangers: $155,300
290) Pirates: $155,000
291) Nationals: $154,800
292) Marlins: $154,600
293) Cubs: $154,300
294) Twins: $153,800
295) Royals: $153,600
296) Rockies: $153,200
297) Tigers: $153,000
298) Angels: $152,800
299) Mets: $152,500
300) Padres: $152,200
301) Guardians: $152,000
302) Phillies: $151,800
303) Reds: $151,500
304) Athletics: $151,300
305) Braves: $151,000
306) Mariners: $150,900
307) Cardinals: $150,600
308) Blue Jays: $150,400
309) Red Sox: $150,000
310) Yankees: $149,800
311) White Sox: $149,600
312) Brewers: $149,600
313) Astros: $149,600
314) Rays: $149,600
315) Dodgers: $149,600
316) Giants: $149,500