International Amateur Free Agency & Bonus Pool Money

Definition

There are guidelines for signing international prospects. A player is eligible to sign with a Major League organization between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year. Players have to be registered with Major League Baseball in advance in order to be eligible.

Each organization enters the signing period with bonus pool money to sign international amateur free agents. The size of that pool is determined by a number of factors, including market size and revenue, as well the signing of Major League free agents who declined a qualifying offer. Signing players for a bonus of $10,000 or less does not count against a bonus pool.

Trades, in which international bonus money can be dealt in increments of $250,000, also affect bonus pool sizes. But a team can not spend more than its allotment, no matter what -- there is no option to exceed the limit and pay a tax, for example. While teams are allowed to trade away as much of their pool as they so choose, they can acquire only 60 percent of their original pool.

These were the initial pool allotments for the 2025 international signing period:

$7,555,500
ATH, CIN, DET, MIA, MIL, MIN, SEA, TB

$6,908,600
ARI, BAL, CLE, COL, KC, PIT

$6,261,600
ATL, BOS, CHC, CWS, LAA, NYM, NYY, PHI, SD, TEX, TOR, WSH

$5,646,200
HOU, STL

$5,146,200
LAD, SF

Note: Foreign professionals -- players who are at least 25 years old and have played as professionals in a foreign league recognized by MLB for at least six seasons -- are exempt from the international bonus pool.