2024 MLB Draft: Royals Will Have the 4th Highest Bonus Pool – Farm to Fountains

Major League Baseball sent teams their slot values and bonus poll information. According to Baseball America, the Royals will have the fourth-highest bonus pool allotment at $15,418,300. The Cleveland Guardians, with the first overall pick, will lead the pack at $18,334,000. That’s thanks to their first-overall pick slot value, which comes in at $10,570,600. The bonus pool amounts are assigned by major league baseball for each slot. The teams can pool the money together, and they are allowed to distribute it however they’d like in the first ten rounds. 

In 2023, the Royals had $12,313,500 to spend in the first ten rounds. Their first-round slot value (8th overall) was $5,980,100, and they signed prep catcher Blake Mitchell. He came in under the slot at $4,897,500, giving them some extra money to spend on later picks. They used their 2nd round pick to sign prep pitcher Blake Wolters for $848,400 over slot and their 3rd round pick to sign prep pitcher Hiro Wyatt for $537,500 over slot. The Royals spent $12,859,700 on all their signings, but teams can spend up to 5% over their assigned draft allotment without being penalized. The Royals may not take the same under-the-slot approach with their sixth overall pick in 2024, especially given that this class’s depth is much shallower than that of the 2023 draft. 

Major League Baseball also let clubs know their international bonus pool money for the 2025 international signing period, which starts on January 15, 2025. Eight teams were in the highest pool (Athletics, Brewers, Mariners, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Tigers, Twins), totaling $7,555,500. The Royals fell into the second tier of the international draft pool, with a total of $6,908.600. The Royals were slotted into the second tier because they had a competitive balance-round pick in the draft this year. The Royals spent big on some international free agents this past class, signing four top 100 international prospects according to Baseball America, including SS Yandel Ricardo (#9), SS Jhonayker Ugarte (#31), SS Darison Garcia (SS), 3B Jose Cerice (#61).