2 Dodgers Rookies To Receive Pre-Arbitration Bonuses

The Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system is one of the best in baseball. It produces some of the best young talent year in and year out.

James Outman and Bobby Miller are the two most recent examples of the organization's impeccable ability to develop talent. For their efforts, both Outman and Miller received salary bonuses' based on their performance last year.

A recent AP article reported that Outman received $580,948 and Miller received $406,035. 

These bonuses are based on votes received for the major postseason awards, including Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, MVP, and the All-MLB first and second teams. Additional bonus money is split among qualified pre-arbitration players depending on their level of play. 

None of this money gets factored into the team's competitive-balance tax accounting at the end of the year. The pre-arbitration bonus pool, a creation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, is funded through Commissioner's office.

Outman, 26, finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting after a torrid start to the season. He slumped midway through the year, but finished strong. Outman finished with 23 home runs and 70 RBIs, good for a 112 OPS+. If he can keep this up, the Dodgers will have their center fielder for years to come.

Miller was the Dodgers' top-ranked pitching prospect prior to the 2023 season. Once he made his debut in late May, he helped stabilize a rotation marred with injury. 

By year's end, Miller proved himself one of the better arms in the rotation, earning the start in Game 2 of the NLDS. In 22 games, he had a 3.76 ERA and struck out 119 batters. Most impressive was the vast improvement of his secondary pitches, which became reliable strikeout tools as the year progressed.

As young players, the money earned through the bonuses is not menial. Outman earned an additional 50 percent of his 2023 salary, while Miller nearly doubled his salary.

If the two players continue to fulfill their promise, there will be more pre-arbitration bonuses in their near future.