MLB Announces 2024 Draft, 2025 International Signing Period Bonus Pools

[Jamie Cameron]

MLB today announced the 2024 MLB Draft and 2025 international signing period bonus pools. Read to find out where the Twins rank financially against other MLB organizations.

Image courtesy of Brock Beauchamp

Today, MLB released bonus pool allocations and pick values for the 2024 MLB Draft. Additionally, MLB released international signing bonus pools for the 2025 signing period.

Despite making the divisional round of the playoffs and only picking 21st in the first round, the Twins find themselves in a favorable position for the 2024 draft. They have the 11th largest bonus pool overall, at $12,209,600. This is primarily a function of the compensation pick they landed for Sonny Gray signing with the Cardinals, which landed them an extra $2.75 million in draft capital.

The Twins top 100 picks and slot values are as follows:
Slot value for pick 21: $3,934,400 (Round 1)
Slot value for pick 33: $2,766,100 (compensation for Sonny Gray rejecting QO)
Slot value for pick 60: $1,453,700 (Round 2)
Slot value for pick 69: $1,168,000 (Competitive Balance Round B)
Slot value for pick 96: $759,700 (Round 3)

This combination of financial and pick flexibility puts the Twins in a strong position ahead of a draft class shaping up to be much weaker than 2023, but with a strong and deep crop of college players.

Reminders on Draft Financials
Organizations are allowed to spend up to 5% more than their total pool without incurring a penalty, a choice many teams take advantage of. The Twins and the Rockies are the only MLB teams who have never spent any overage on their bonus pool. Any amount up to 5% over the pool is met with a 75% tax on the overage. If a team spends between 5-10% more than their pool, the penalty is 75% tax on the overage and loss of a future first rounder. Any team who exceeds their bonus pool by more than 10% up to 15% pays 100% tax on the overage and will lose a first and second round future pick. Any team who exceeds their bonus pool by more than 15% loses two future first round picks in addition to paying 100% tax on the overage.

Rounds 11-20 work differently to the first half of the draft. These picks do not come with an assigned slot value. Teams can spend up to $150,000 per pick without that spending coming out of their bonus pool. If they spend over that amount, any overage will be deducted from their bonus pool. For example, an 11th round pick signing for $250,000 will result in $100,000 being subtracted from that teams’ bonus pool. 

MLB Announces 2025 International Bonus Pools
MLB announced bonus pools for the 2025 international signing period today. The 2025 signing window opens on January 15th, 2025 and runs through December 15th, 2025. The Twins are in a group of eight teams (which also includes the Tigers) who have the joint largest bonus pools. The Twins can spend $7,555,500 in the 2025 international signing window.

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[roger]

Interesting.  That's darn near $20,000,000.  That's a heck of a lot of money.  Really like them having five of the top 96 picks.  Hopefully, they will get a couple good players from these two sources.

[Cory Engelhardt]

These are both awesome announcements/news for the Twins. Let's add some more good talent to the organization!

[Doctor Gast]

Thanks Jamie! Good news, hope the Twins can capitalize on it.

[DocBauer]

The bad news, you won in 2023 so you pick later, and the draft isn't nearly as deep as last year.

The good news is you won, and you still have 5 of the top 100 picks with the 11th most $ to spend. 

It does seem that the college talent, while not as high end as last year, does have some depth. I'm assuming part of that is due to covid delayed entrances to the draft. I don't know if it's a reflection of draft strategies changing overall from teams, or the vast number of covid delayed college careers that have filled the past couple of drafts, but it feels like HS kids have been selected at a much lower rate overall. 

I expect the Twins to go college heavy with their picks, but, I have to wonder if they will take some of that 11th $ amount to sign a HS player or two over slot? For the 3rd year in a row, they come in to the draft with some ammunition and flexibility to make something happen.