Bobby Bonilla Day: When Does the Former Mets Star's Infamous Contract End?
- On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the New York Mets issued the 16th annual payment of approximately $1.19 million to former Major League Baseball player Bobby Bonilla, marking another installment of the unusual deal known as 'Bobby Bonilla Day.'
- The Mets released Bonilla after the 1999 season, agreeing to defer his $5.9 million payout with 8% interest rather than paying a lump sum, a decision negotiated by his former agent Dennis Gilbert.
- Total earnings from the deal reach nearly $30 million, with payments continuing through 2035 when Bonilla will be 72, alongside similar arrangements for retired players Manny Ramirez and Chris Davis.
- Mets owner Steve Cohen has discussed holding a celebration at Citi Field since purchasing the team in 2020, though he has not yet followed through; Bonilla told USA TODAY Sports that he finds the annual day fun.
- The duration of Bonilla's payout captivates the baseball world; agent Nez Balelo noted that such long-term arrangements fascinated people even before negotiating Shohei Ohtani's historic $700 million deal with $680 million deferred.
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Black America Web
Bobby Bonilla Day Explained: Why The Mets Are Still Paying A Man Who Retired In 2001
Source: Matthew Stockman / Getty Every July 1, baseball fans celebrate one of the strangest, funniest and most misunderstood financial holidays in sports: Bobby Bonilla Day. It is the day the New York Mets send another $1,193,248.20 payment to Bonilla, a former All-Star who last played for the Mets in 1999 and retired from Major League Baseball in 2001. In 2026, the tradition hits Year 16, and Bonilla is still collecting like he just went 3-for-…
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Bobby Bonilla Day triggers memories among Dodgers fans of his failed 1998 stint with the team that accelerated the promotion of future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre.
Michigan Live
Happy Bobby Bonilla Day: Why the retired Mets star is paid $1.2M every July 1
Today is July 1st, which in the baseball world is annually celebrated as Bobby Bonilla Day, when the retired New York Mets star is paid $1.2 million by his former team.
Happy Bobby Bonilla Day: Inside the 63-year-old former MLB star contract, 287 home runs and 16th annual $1.19 million payment details from New York Mets under deferred deal
MLB News: Each July 1, Bobby Bonilla Day is here, as the former Mets outfielder cashes another yearly check from New York. The 63-year-old is pulling in about $.
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