Sielski: Mets Still Owe Bobby Bonilla 25 Annual Payments of $1.9 Million

I’ll show you the Brink’s right here, motherf——-!

One year from today, the Mets will add to their payroll a 47-year-old, past-his-prime power hitter who has a reputation as a malcontent—a player who has been retired from professional baseball for nine years and won’t play another game again.

Nevertheless, starting on July 1, 2011, Bobby Bonilla will remain on the franchise’s payroll for 25 years, collecting an annual salary of $1,193,248.20. Those are the terms the Mets agreed to Jan. 3, 2000, when they bought out the final year of Mr. Bonilla’s contract.

“That beautiful thing,” he said here Monday.

...But the team has reached the postseason only once since, and it can be argued that the short-term gain of the arrangement with Mr. Bonilla wasn’t worth the long-term cost. Because the Mets are repaying him with interest, Mr. Bonilla will earn $29,831,205 between 2011 and 2035—more than he earned in his first contract with the Mets.

“Bobby’s a very smart person,” Mr. Gilbert said, “and he understands the value of income.”

...He spent time Monday mingling with players and coaches. Mets rightfielder Jeff Francoeur, the team’s representative to the players association, chatted with Mr. Bonilla in the Mets’ clubhouse. Mr. Francoeur said he was unaware of the conditions of Mr. Bonilla’s buyout and had never heard of such a contract.

“But it’s awesome,” he said. “You pull something off like that, and later on you don’t have to worry about [stuff].”