The 2022 MLB Draft will be held in Los Angeles from Sunday, July 17 through Tuesday, July 19, and the Los Angeles Dodgers bonus pool is $4.2 million, the lowest among all 30 teams.
That’s slightly down from their bonus pool total of $4.6 million last year, which ranked 29th of the 30 clubs. Only the Houston Astros had less money to spend after being stripped of their first- and second-round picks due to the organization’s sign-stealing scandal.
Bonus pools are calculated by adding the slot values of every pick through the first 10 rounds. There are consequences for exceeding the allotment, including a 75% tax on any overage amount up to 5% over the pool. If a team goes over the 5%, they will lose their first-round pick in the next draft.
Multiple factors played a role in the Dodgers’ bonus pool decreasing for the 2022 MLB Draft, but perhaps none bigger than the signing of Freddie Freeman after he declined the $18.4 million qualifying offer from the Atlanta Braves.
That resulted in L.A. forfeiting their second- and fifth-highest draft picks due to exceeding the luxury tax threshold during the 2021 season. The Dodgers also had their first pick in the 2022 MLB Draft moved back 10 spots, going from No. 30 overall to 40.
L.A. has only once selected higher than No. 40 with their first pick, which came in 2012 when they drafted Jesmuel Valentin at No. 51 overall. It was a supplemental pick for catcher Rod Barajas signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates in free agency.
The only other time the Dodgers held the No. 40 overall pick was 2005, which they used on right-handed pitcher Luke Hochevar. The two sides were unable to reach an agreement, however, leading Hochevar to be selected by the Kansas City Royals with the first overall pick in the following year’s draft.
Dodgers 2022 MLB Draft bonus pool
Round 1, Pick 40: $1,950,900
Round 3, Pick 105: $582,400
Round 4, Pick 135: $435,000
Round 5, Pick 165: $325,200
Round 6, Pick 195: $253,200
Round 7, Pick 225: $199,700
Round 8, Pick 255: $169,000
Round 9, Pick 285: $156,500
Round 10, Pick 315: $149,500
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