Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers not signing a 1st-round right-handed pitcher from the University of Louisville has some precedent in the Billy Gasparino era, but that won’t be the case this year. The Dodgers have, reportedly, signed Bobby Miller.
If you needed further confirmation, get it from the man himself.
Groovy.
Here’s how the bonus pool stacks up at present.
| Round | Player | Slot | Bonus | Savings |
| 1 | Bobby Miller | $2,424,600 | $2,200,000 | $224,600 |
| 2 | Landon Knack | $1,157,400 | unsigned | ? |
| 2cb | Clayton Beeter | $1,003,300 | unsigned | ? |
| 3 | Jake Vogel | $581,600 | unsigned | ? |
| 4 | Carson Taylor | $434,300 | $400,000 | $34,300 |
| 5 | Gavin Stone | $327,200 | $100,000 | $227,200 |
| Total | $5,928,400 | $2,700,000 | $486,100 |
Miller saved the Dodgers a little against the bonus pool, as was predicted by many when the Dodgers took him at No. 29 overall earlier this month. Taylor’s deal also saves the Dodgers some pool money. Not a lot, but they might need every dollar they can get to get both Beeter and Vogel signed. Knack’s deal is expected to be a significantly under-slot signee, so the biggest savings against the pool could still be to come.
The Dodgers, disappointingly, haven’t signed any new undrafted free agents since inking right-hander Robbie Peto last week.
Bonus Pool
Before you go, here’s a quick refresher on how the bonus pool system works.
Every pick in the draft has a slot amount allotted to them. A player can be signed for more or less than the recommended amount, but a team cannot exceed its bonus pool without incurring penalties. If a draftee does not sign, teams lose that signing bonus from their overall pool (i.e., if Landon Knack didn’t sign, the Dodgers’ bonus pool would decline by $1,157,400). Bonuses for undrafted free agents do not count toward a team’s pool, and the maximum amount a team can sign a UDFA for is $20,000 (which sucks).
Here are how the overage penalties shake out.
| Overage (percentage) | Penalty (taxed amount) |
| 0-4.99 | 75 percent tax on overage |
| 5-9.99 | 75 percent tax on overage Loss of 2021 1st-round pick |
| 10-14.99 | 100 percent tax on overage Loss of 2021 1st- & 2nd-round picks |
| 15-plus | 100 percent tax Loss of 1st-round picks in 2021 & 2022 |
The Dodgers can go up to $296,419 (5 percent, less $1) over their allotted slot amount of $5,928,400 without losing a draft pick. No team has ever exceeded this bonus pool since this system was implemented in 2012, and it isn’t going to happen now.
Teams have until Aug. 1 at 2 p.m. Pacific time to sign their draftees.
