The New York Mets continue to execute annual deferred salary payments to former player Bobby Bonilla, highlighting a broader systemic use of delayed compensation within professional baseball.

紐約 Mets 球隊持續向前球員 Bobby Bonilla 支付年度延期薪金，凸顯了職業棒球界內部廣泛使用延期支付方案的系統性做法。

The financial arrangement between the New York Mets and Bobby Bonilla originated in 2000 as a buyout of a $5.9 million contractual obligation. Rather than a lump-sum disbursement, the parties agreed to a 25-year payment schedule commencing in 2011 and concluding in 2035, incorporating an 8% interest rate. This structure was predicated on the then-ownership's investment in accounts managed by Bernie Madoff, with the expectation that returns from said accounts would exceed the interest owed to Bonilla. Following the collapse of the Madoff Ponzi scheme, the projected profit was eliminated, resulting in a total projected payout of approximately $29.8 million. Current ownership under Steve Cohen has maintained the arrangement and integrated the annual payment date into the franchise's public identity.

紐約 Mets 與 Bobby Bonilla 之間的財務安排始於 2000 年，當時是為了買斷 590 萬美元的合約義務。雙方並非一次性撥款，而是同意採取 2011 年開始至 2035 年結束的 25 年支付計畫，並包含 8% 的利率。此結構是基於當時所有者對 Bernie Madoff 管理帳戶的投資，預期該帳戶的收益將超過欠 Bonilla 的利息。在 Madoff 龐氏騙局崩潰後，預期利潤消失，導致總預計支付金額約為 2,980 萬美元。目前的 Steve Cohen 所有權團隊維持了該安排，並將年度付款日期整合進球隊的公共形象中。

Such deferrals are not isolated incidents but represent a recurring mechanism for payroll management. Notable examples include Max Scherzer's payments from the Washington Nationals and Chris Davis's agreement with the Baltimore Orioles. More recently, the Los Angeles Dodgers have utilized extreme deferrals as a strategic roster-development tool, most prominently in the contract of Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani's agreement stipulates a $2 million annual salary during the active term, with $680 million deferred to be paid in $68 million annual increments from 2034 to 2043. This approach reduces the immediate impact on the competitive balance tax (CBT) by utilizing the present-day value of the contract.

此類延期支付並非孤立事件，而是一種經常使用的薪資管理機制。顯著例子包括 Max Scherzer 從華盛頓國民隊獲得的款項，以及 Chris Davis 與巴爾的摩金鶯隊的協議。近期，洛杉磯道奇隊將極端延期支付視為策略性陣容開發工具，最著名的是大谷翔平的合約。大谷的協議規定在活躍期間年薪 200 萬美元，而 6.8 億美元延期支付，將於 2034 年至 2043 年間每年支付 6,800 萬美元。這種做法利用合約的現值，降低了對競爭平衡稅（CBT）的即時影響。

Despite the prevalence of these structures, their future viability is currently contested. Major League Baseball owners have proposed a prohibition on all new salary deferrals beginning in 2027, as part of a broader effort to implement a hard salary cap and equalize economic disparities across the league. Conversely, the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) maintains that the ability to negotiate payment timing is a fundamental right of player flexibility, arguing that deferrals can be a critical instrument in finalizing complex contract negotiations.

儘管這些結構十分普遍，但其未來的可行性目前存在爭議。大聯盟所有者提議從 2027 年起禁止所有新的薪資延期支付，作為實施硬性薪資上限並平衡聯盟經濟差異之更廣泛努力的一部分。相反，MLB 球員協會（MLBPA）堅持協商支付時間是球員靈活性的基本權利，認為延期支付在敲定複雜的合約談判中可以是關鍵工具。

While existing obligations like those to Bonilla remain legally binding, the future of deferred compensation depends on the outcome of ongoing labor negotiations between the league and the players' union.

雖然像對 Bonilla 這樣現有的義務在法律上依然具有約束力，但延期支付的未來將取決於聯盟與球員工會之間目前進行中的勞工談判結果。