Cubs to split up record $27.5 million in postseason pool money
Thanks to another record year of revenue in Major League Baseball and a historic World Series victory, Chicago Cubs players are set to receive a hefty postseason bonus.
As announced by MLB on Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs will split up a record $27,586,017.75 postseason pot among their players. Since the Cubs will be issuing 66 full shares, that means each player will receive $368,871.59. That’s actually down from the $370,069.03 each Kansas City Royals player received after winning the 2015 World Series, but only because they awarded 58 full shares.
As for the AL champion Indians, who missed three chances to win the series and the larger share, they received $18,390,678.50. They plan to issue 60 full shares, valued at $261,804.65.
Overall, the players’ pool spread among the 10 postseason teams rose from $69,882,149.26. to $76,627,827.09, which was also a new record. Here’s the formula for how MLB reaches that number and for how the pool is divided among teams.
The players’ pool is formed from 50 percent of the gate receipts from the Wild Card Games; 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first three games of the Division Series; 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first four games of the League Championship Series; and 60 percent of the gate receipts from the first four games of the World Series. The players’ pool was divided among the 10 Postseason Clubs: the two World Series participants, the two League Championship Series runners-up, the four Division Series runners-up and the two runners-up in the Wild Card Games.
It’s up to the teams to decide how many full and partial shares are given out. Obviously, players who contributed the most to the team’s success will receive full shares. As for part-timers or players let go during the season, a partial share is often prorated by percentage of the season a player was with the team. Though in some instances those players end up getting shut out.
There are also special circumstances in which non-players receive shares. In 2007, the Colorado Rockies voted a full share to the family of Mike Coolbaugh, who was killed by a line drive while coaching first base during a minor league game.
There’s no word on who all will be receiving a Cubs share this winter, but this proves once again that it pays to win.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
