White Sox have fifth-most spending power for 2019 MLB Draft

The White Sox will pick third overall in the 2019 MLB Draft this summer, but they’re a little lower on the list when it comes to how much they’ll be allowed to spend on draft picks. MLB released its signing bonus pool allotments for all 30 clubs on Wednesday, and the White Sox come in fifth at $11.565 million.

Bonus pools determine how much each MLB team can spend on signing draft picks before being penalized. Teams that exceed their pool limit by 0-5 percent pay a 75 percent tax on the overage. However, the penalties quickly get much steeper, including the potential loss of future picks. No team has ever outspent its pool allotment by more than five percent.

The Diamondbacks have the highest draft pool allotment at a bit over $16 million. The Orioles ($13.821 million), Royals ($13.108 million) and Marlins ($13.045 million) round out the top five with the Sox.

For the third overall pick, the Sox will be able to spend up to $7.22 million. Since the start of the bonus pool system in 2012, no player has signed for more than 2018 first overall pick Casey Mize, who received $7.5 million from the Tigers.

The Red Sox have the lowest bonus pool allotment at $4.788 million. The Cubs are 26th with a bonus pool allotment of $5.826 million.