Three young Nationals players have been financially rewarded for their performances this season, qualifying for Major League Baseball’s “pre-arbitration bonus pool” payments.
James Wood, CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile all earned bonus checks, according to the Associated Press, which reported the dollar figures for 101 players who have fewer than three years of MLB service time and are not yet eligible for arbitration.
MLB and the MLB Players Association instituted this program in the collective bargaining agreement that covers the 2022-26 seasons as a path toward paying the sport’s best young players more than the near-league-minimum salaries they generally receive.
A total pool of $50 million, with contributions from all 30 clubs, is divvied up among the qualifying players. The top bonuses go to those who either win or finish runner-up for major awards like MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year. Any money remaining in the pool then goes to the 100 pre-arbitration players who produced the highest combined WAR.
Wood received the largest bonus among the Nationals’ three qualifiers, earning $424,544 on top of his $764,600 salary. The 23-year-old outfielder made his first career All-Star team and participated in the Home Run Derby after a torrid first half to his season. He slumped after the break but still finished with 38 doubles, 31 homers, 94 RBIs, an .825 OPS and a combined 7.0 WAR between Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs’ formulas.
Abrams received a slightly smaller bonus than Wood ($403,973), which is added to his $780,600 salary this season. The 25-year-old shortstop hit 35 doubles and 19 homers, drove in 60 runs, stole 31 bases and produced a career-best .748 OPS, amassing 6.5 combined WAR along the way. He’s due for a significant raise this winter in his first season of arbitration eligibility, projected to make about $5.6 million.
Lile, who only played 91 big league games, didn’t rank in the top-100 in WAR but still qualified for a $150,000 bonus (smallest of all the players on this list) for finishing fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He had already earned $487,600 this season, the prorated portion of the league minimum of $760,000 based on the number of days he spent on the Nationals’ roster.
The 22-year-old outfielder finished his rookie season on a tear, totaling 15 doubles, 11 triples, nine homers and 41 RBIs despite taking only 351 plate appearances. He batted .299 with an .845 OPS that ranked highest among all NL rookies with at least 300 plate appearances.