Braves Have Their Own Bobby Bonilla Contract But It's Arguably Even Worse

It's July 1 which in baseball means it's the day that former big leaguer Bobby Bonilla will be paid over $1 million from the New York Mets, as he set up his contract in a way that it's differed money that will pay him until 2035.

While Bonilla gets all the headlines and the Mets are crushed for giving out one of the worst contracts in big league history, the Atlanta Braves have them beat.

Dan Lewis of The Athletic reported that the Braves are still paying Hall of Fame relief pitcher Bruce Sutter, who retired back in 1988.

Before the 1985 season, the Braves signed Sutter to a six-year, $9.1 million deal, which was big money for an aging pitcher. The catch, Sutter structured his contract in a way that he'll be getting paid for the next 30 years at no less than $1.12 million per year.

“Sutter was only paid about $750,000 per year while under the Braves’ control,” Lewis wrote. “For the thirty years after he retired — 30!!! — the Braves agreed to pay him no less than $1.12 million per year, and potentially more if interest rates spiked above a negotiated floor of 12.3 percent. [They haven’t.] That ends in 2021, and it’s only 2018, so Bruce Sutter, at some point this year, received or will receive a check for $1.12 million.”

What makes this contract even more interesting is the fact Sutter retired four years into the six-year deal, and for some reason, the Braves decided to pay Sutter the full $9.1 million up front, which usually doesn't happen.

Sutter has made more money in this contract than he should've.

So, by the end of this contract, Sutter will be paid over $45 million for three years where he posted a 4.55 ERA over 112 appearances.