Major League Baseball has announced the 2026 Draft Bonus Pools. The Cincinnati Reds draft bonus pool will be made up from their picks in the top 10 rounds, which this year leaves the team with 11 picks. Picks after the 10th round do not count towards the bonus pool unless the player is signed for over $150,000 and then only the amount over that $150,000 counts towards the overall bonus pool.

The Reds had an 83-79 record last season and made the playoffs. That put them in the back half of the draft for 2026 and they’ll be selecting 18th overall in the 1st round. The slot value for that pick is $4,695,500. Cincinnati’s overall bonus pool is $10,758,500. That ranks 18th in baseball. Pittsburgh has the largest pool, with the Pirates having the ability to spend $19,130,700. Down at the bottom of the list is the Los Angeles Dodgers who can only spend $3,951,900.

Here’s how the Reds pool is broken down by round:

RoundPickSlot Value118$4,695,500258$1,637,7002CB70$1,223,100394$833,8004122$632,5005154$463,2006183$358,9007212$283,0008242$229,7009272$206,30010302$194,800Total Pool Amount$10,758,500

Cincinnati gets a 2nd round competitive balance pick this year as a small market team. That pick will alternate between the 1st and 2nd round every year for clubs that qualify. Last year they didn’t have one during the draft because they traded it in the Gavin Lux deal with the Dodgers. The competitive balance picks are the only ones that teams can trade.

Teams can spend their pool money however they would like. In theory they could give one player nearly all of it as long as they also still signed a player with the other picks – you lose the slot value of a pick if you do not sign someone in that spot. It hasn’t happened as often in the last few years, but this is why you will see teams sign seniors in college and get them to sign for $10,000 in the top 10 rounds. That allows the team to use the rest of whatever slot value money to pay out to someone else who wants over slot money to sign.

Teams can go over their bonus pool, but they face penalties for doing so. A team that goes over their bonus pool will pay a 75% tax on any overage if that overage is 0-5%. No team has ever gone over by 5% because at that point a team will forfeit their 1st and 2nd round draft pick the following year, as well as face larger tax penalties.