Christmas is coming early for 100 MLB players who qualify for the first-ever pre-arbitration bonus pool.
Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease will take home the most, a source told ESPN, over $2.4 million after finishing in second in AL Cy Young voting and sixth in WAR among qualified players.
The new collective bargaining agreement, signed between the league and players last March, set aside $50 million for the top 100 players according to WAR who have less than three years of service time in the league.
There are also additional bonuses for those qualified players who finish first or second in Rookie of the Year voting, in the top 5 for MVP and Cy Young as well as first and second-team All-MLB.