Jim Callis from MLB Pipeline has the bonus information for 11th round pick Jase Bowen. The Pittsburgh Pirates gave him a $392,500 bonus. Every pick after the tenth round comes with a $125,000 slot amount, so $267,500 comes out of the bonus pool money for the top ten rounds. Bowen signed on Wednesday night.
11th-rder Jase Bowen's bonus with @Pirates is $392,500 ($267,500 counts vs pool). Ohio HS OF, VG athlete who was Michigan State WR recruit, raw power & speed combo, needs more AB. @MLBDraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) June 21, 2019
The Pirates already used up all of their savings prior to this deal, so they are now working with the 5% overage teams are allowed to use without losing a draft pick in a future draft. The Pirates will need to pay tax on the final overage amount, but they will not exceed the 5%. I say that with confidence because no team has exceeded that number since the new system began in 2012.
With Bowen’s bonus information, we now know that the Pirates have $118,500 left in their bonus pool before getting to the point where they would lose a pick. What we don’t know yet is if that number will go up or down. The Pirates are waiting to sign fourth round pick JC Flowers and ninth round pick Ethan Paul. Flowers just saw his season end in the College World Series, while Paul’s team (Vanderbilt) is still playing. Normally, players sign about seven days after their season ends. Paul should net them some savings, since he is a senior sign. They usually get a bonus in the $10,000-$50,000 range when they are selected in the top ten rounds. Flowers will likely be close to his slot amount.
