In a surprising turn of events, Wander Franco, the young baseball prodigy, will be raking in a massive bonus of over $700k from Major League Baseball (MLB), despite being on administrative leave. This comes as a part of MLB's pre-arbitration bonus pool, a fund designated to reward young players who are clocking in impressive numbers while making around the general minimum major league salary.
Why, you may ask, did Franco land such a generous bonus? It comes down to his impressive stats and the length of his service in the big leagues. He’s only 22-years-old and was burning up the All-Star charts before he was benched in August due to an ongoing controversy. MLB and authorities in the Dominican Republic have both launched investigations into allegations that Franco was involved in a relationship with a minor.
The MLB bonus pool, worth a whopping $50 million, utilizes a unique Wins Above Replacement (WAR) formula. This evaluates a player's on-field contributions, and by this measure, Franco showcased a remarkable 4.8377 WAR! This led to his bonus ranking 13th among other eligible players. Add to that his selection in MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year votes, and qualification for the all-MLB first and second teams.
Franco’s wallet hasn’t been hurting either. He continued to receive his $2 million salary while on leave and has another $2 million to look forward to next season, thanks to his $182 million contract that kicked off this year. However, if a suspension is in his future post investigation, there's a chance he won't see a dime for the duration of it.
Before authorities hit the brakes on Franco’s season, calculations estimated a prospective pool of $896,755 for him, but even after the cut short, his total two-year bonus pool still rounds off to a sizable $999,545.
Despite all his issues off the field, Franco’s on-field performance can't be denied. This season, he emerged amongst the stars, clocking a .281 average with 17 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases in 112 games. A young talent to watch out for, controversies aside!
