29 Aug 1998: Ken Griffey Jr. #24 of the Seattle Mariners looking on during a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees defeated the Mariners 11-6. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello /Allsport

Throughout his time in Major League Baseball, Ken Griffey Jr. emerged as one of the top players ever to play the game – and he was paid handsomely for it, as a result. And as it turns out, he is actually still being paid handsomely for it.

As ESPN pointed on on Sunday morning, Ken Griffey Jr. will actually be the fourth-highest-paid player on the Cincinnati Reds payroll this season, even though he hasn’t played for the team since 2008 and hasn’t even played a Major League Baseball game since 2010.

“Ken Griffey Jr. will be the fourth-highest paid player for the Cincinnati Reds this season,” ESPN wrote in a graphic on Sunday morning, citing Spotrac. “He will be making $3.59 million thanks to the deferred payment agreement of his contract extension with the Reds in 2000.”

“Ken Griffey Jr. is 53 years old and hasn’t played in MLB in over a decade,” the tweet read.

It’s a pretty shocking turn of events, given that Griffey hasn’t played baseball since he retired from the game back in 2010. And the MLB world had plenty to say about it on Twitter as a result, with plenty of people reminded about Bobby Bonilla’s deferred deal with the New York Mets, which infamously pays him through 2035.

Obviously, this isn’t exactly a great sign for the Cincinnati Reds, because it means their roster is not exactly star-studded. But it’s good for Griffey to continue getting his money.

[ESPN]