Roch Cholowsky, the first overall pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, has agreed to a $10.35 million signing bonus with the Chicago White Sox. The deal, reported by ESPN, sets a new record for the largest bonus in the current era of the MLB Draft.
The previous record of $9.25 million was shared by Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns and Colorado Rockies minor leaguer Charlie Condon, the second and third overall picks of the 2024 draft. Cholowsky's deal surpasses that mark, though it still falls short of his official slot value of $11,350,600, leaving roughly $1 million on the table.
That gap is not an accident. Going under slot on a top pick is a common strategy. Teams can redirect the savings into their remaining bonus pool to sign high-upside players picked later in the draft at above-slot bonuses. The White Sox are expected to follow that approach with the money saved on Cholowsky.
Last year, the Washington Nationals used the same strategy with the first overall pick. They signed Eli Willits to an $8.2 million bonus despite a slot value of $11,075,900, then gave significantly above-slot bonuses to their next four picks. The 142nd overall pick that year, Coy James, received a $2.5 million bonus, more than the 34th overall pick received.
Cholowsky and the White Sox almost certainly had an informal agreement in place before the draft. Teams rarely select a player at that position without knowing what it will take to sign him. Had he declined to sign, Cholowsky could have returned to UCLA for his senior year and re-entered the draft in 2027.
The shortstop comes out of college with a career slash line of .329/.448/.624 and earned recognition for his defense at one of the most demanding positions on the field. He is considered the headliner of a new wave of talent arriving in Chicago.
The timing adds context. The White Sox entered the All-Star break leading the AL Central at 50-45, a dramatic turnaround for a franchise that lost a modern record 121 games in 2024.
Cholowsky's $10.35 million is a record for this era of draft rules, but it does not come close to the all-time high. In 2009, Stephen Strasburg signed a major-league deal with the Washington Nationals guaranteeing him $15,107,104. That record stands, and under the current collective bargaining structure, it is unlikely to be challenged anytime soon.
