Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards collect 6-figure bonuses for 2024 production

Miami Marlins second baseman Otto Lopez and shortstop Xavier Edwards got early Christmas presents from Major League Baseball. As confirmed by the Associated Press on Friday, they took home bonuses of $339,964 and $313,489, respectively, figures that represent approximately half of their base salaries from the 2024 season.

These payouts came from the MLB pre-arbitration bonus pool. The $50 million pool was divided among 101 pre-arb players based on a combination of where they finished in end-of-season award voting and how much wins above replacement they accumulated.

Both of Miami's bonus recipients were bright spots amid an 100-loss season. Claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants in April, Lopez led all Marlins position players in both the FanGraphs (2.5 fWAR) and Baseball-Reference (2.6 bWAR) versions of WAR, thanks in large part to his fielding prowess. After patiently waiting in Triple-A while Tim Anderson stunk it up at shortstop, Edwards (2.2 fWAR/2.0 bWAR) was the club's best all-around offensive player from July onward.

Combining his bonus and major league salary, Spotrac estimates that Lopez made a cash total of $1,004,290 during this past major league season. Edwards made $918,145.

Among the other pre-arb Marlins players, Ryan Weathers and Calvin Faucher came closest to qualifying for their own bonus pool payouts.

Lopez and Edwards are still two years away from arbitration eligibility. Barring contract extensions from the Marlins, their salaries will be close to the league minimum in 2025 and 2026, but they'll continue to be eligible for bonuses like this in the meantime.