The holiday shopping season just got a little easier for Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement, who this week earned a $245,805 bonus under the Toronto Blue Jays’ pre-arbitration bonus system. Major League Baseball.

Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals made the most money in the system with just under $3.1 million. Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates finished second after winning the National League Rookie of the Year award.

The Associated Press published the full list of employees here, and MLBTradeRumors has done a great job explaining how it all works.

The most recent collective bargaining agreement introduced a $50 million reserve that is distributed among players who have not yet accumulated enough seniority to reach arbitration. (Each team commits about $1.67 million to this fund each season.) The goal was to help high-achieving young players get paid earlier in their careers. Players are eligible even if they signed a contract extension, as Witt did before the season.

Clement was a finalist for the Gold Glove Award at third base alongside Alex Bregman (Houston Astros) and Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Guardians).

Clement, 28, just completed his first full season with the Blue Jays, playing 139 games in total. A four-year veteran, he also played with the Guardians and Oakland Athletics.

A versatile player, Clement played 96 games at third base for Toronto (72 starts) while playing 41 at shortstop, four at second base and one in the outfield. He also pitched once this year.

He hit .263 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs. He also stole 12 bases.

The Blue Jays finished last in the American League East with a 74-88 record after making the playoffs in 2022 and 2023.

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