going from pick 13 to pick 5 really makes a big difference.
Major League Baseball announced the slot values and bonus pools to teams this week. According to MLB.com pick values rose 4.8 percent, reflecting the league’s growing revenues. The Cardinals made a notable leap from pick number 13 to number 5, gaining $2,610,500 in bonus pool value.
But first, let’s do a quick little explainer about what a bonus pool even is. The MLB draft operates under a bonus pool system, designed to regulate spending and create a level playing field across teams. Every draft pick in the first 10 rounds is assigned a “slot value”—an amount of money recommended by MLB for that pick. The total of these slot values for a team becomes their bonus pool. For the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2025 MLB Draft, their No. 5 overall pick has a slot value of $7,822,200. Adding the slot values for their other picks in the first 10 rounds brings their total bonus pool to $11,314,600.
Teams can only spend up to their bonus pool amount on signing bonuses for players drafted in the first 10 rounds without penalties. They have flexibility to negotiate and offer less or more than the slot value for any given pick, but the total cannot exceed the pool. With the Cardinals, winning a top-5 pick does not just mean they get to pick earlier, but their draft pool also increases by the increased value of the pick, giving them more money to use in the first ten rounds of the draft. A common strategy for teams is to sign players for less than the slot value early in the draft, reallocating those savings to later picks.
If a team exceeds their pool, they’re hit with financial penalties and significantly overspending could lead to loss of draft picks. Players drafted after the 10th round receive up to $150,000 without it counting against the bonus pool. Any amount above this threshold is deducted from the team’s pool.
Here are the bonus pools by team:
Mariners: $17,074,400
Rays: $16,699,400
Angels: $16,656,400
Nationals: $16,597,800
Orioles: $16,513,100
Rockies: $15,723,400
Marlins: $15,187,400
Cardinals: $14,238,300
Pirates: $14,088,400
Brewers: $13,138,100
Royals: $12,794,700
Twins: $12,653,000
Red Sox: $12,409,300
White Sox: $12,169,100
Reds: $11,836,800
Rangers: $10,991,300
Tigers: $10,990,800
Diamondbacks: $10,917,800
Athletics: $10,563,500
Blue Jays: $10,314,600
Guardians: $10,198,100
Cubs: $9,636,800
Braves: $9,081,100
Dodgers: $9,031,300
Giants: $8,403,300
Phillies: $7,849,400
Astros: $7,181,500
Padres: $6,569,100
Mets: $5,465,900
Yankees: $5,383,600
We’ve already touched on it a bit, but this just highlights how impactful winning that higher draft pick will be for the Cardinals, specifically as they aim to rebound from a challenging season. This draft could be a crucial step in re-establishing the team’s competitive edge and laying the foundation for sustained success. I’m not normally a draft enthusiast, but I imagine I will be awaiting the results this season with more interest that usual. The Cardinals have a chance to have a really big year. I’m curious to see what they will do!
Happy Sunday!
