ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - For most people, the MLB All-Star Game is a fun break in the middle of the baseball season to watch the sport’s best and brightest stars on one field.
But for those stars, there can be some serious money involved.
There are multiple cash incentives tied to the All-Star Weekend written into the sport’s collective bargaining agreement.
The incentives begin in the voting process. The top three vote-getters at each position in Phase One get a cash bonus. The top vote-getter at a given position gets $15,000, second place gets $5,000 and third place gets $2,500. For the outfield spots, the top three votegetters all get $15,000.
Every player on the winning team of the All-Star Game gets $25,000 minimum. Players can earn more money during the game in one of two ways.
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The first is by participating in the tiebreaker Home Run Derby that replaces extra innings. By being one of the three players from each league to take swings, players earn an extra $10,000.
Players can also earn an extra $15,000 by agreeing to an in-game interview.
The real money can be made in the Home Run Derby. The derby has a total cash prize of $2.5 million. The winner gets $1 million, second place gets $500,000 and the six other participants get $150,000. The player who hits the longest home run also gets an extra $100,000.
That money might not matter to a player such as Ronald Acuña Jr., who’s set to make $17 million. But for a player like Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays — who’s making just $764,000 on a pre-arbitration deal — the extra cash can go a long way.
Some players also have bonuses for making the All-Star team written into their contracts, although it’s unknown if any Braves have clauses. For example, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is set to receive a $50,000 bonus after being voted the National League starter.
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