Six Detroit Tigers players received a substantial end-of-year bonus from MLB's pre-arbitration bonus pool, totaling over $2 million. The recipients include Catcher Dillon Dingler, Outfielders Riley Greene and Wenceel Perez, First Baseman Spencer Torkelson, Infielder Colt Keith, and Right-handed Pitcher Reese Olson. This bonus pool, introduced in the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, aims to reward players with fewer than three years of service time who are not yet arbitration-eligible and would otherwise earn only the minimum salary. The bonus structure is as follows: $2.5 million for an MVP or Cy Young Award, $1.75 million for second place, $1.5 million for third place, $1 million for fourth or fifth place, $750,000 for Rookie of the Year, and $500,000 for second place in Rookie of the Year. The remaining $50 million is distributed based on a formula tied to Wins Above Replacement (WAR). Interestingly, players like Keith remain eligible even after signing long-term deals, provided their service time falls below the arbitration threshold. The largest payout from this year's allocation went to Pittsburgh Pirates ace and NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, who received $3.44 million. This news comes alongside other recent developments in the Tigers' off-season, including new roles for alumni in Korea and Japan, a minor-league deal for a former Tigers reliever with the Rockies, and a 2-year deal for a potential Tigers pitching target with Baltimore.
