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Shohei Ohtani agreed to the biggest and richest athlete contract in the history of U.S. sports on Saturday. The Los Angeles Dodgers landed the two-way superstar with a staggering $700 million contract over 10 years, which brings the guaranteed contract to $70 million per year, which are mind-boggling numbers.
Ohtani’s deal surpasses the previous biggest Major League contract, which was $426.5 million over 12 years awarded to Mike Trout by the Angels in 2019. Ohtani’s contract was even more lucrative than Patrick Mahomes’ $450 million NFL salary with the Kansas City Chiefs over the following 10 years.
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Shohei Ohtani earned just about $9.7 million in total compensation between 2018 and 2022, with a noteworthy $5.5 million in 2022. But the true turn in his financial story came when he signed a $30 million, one-year contract with the Angels before the 2023 season.
Ohtani’s chances of exercising his imminent free agency were potentially tarnished in August when he suffered a damaged UCL ligament. But cut to present times, and the Japanese ace has signed the biggest player contract in sports history.
“MLB’s system is broken. Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million average annual salary is more than the 2023 opening day payrolls of the Baltimore Orioles ($60.9 million) and the Oakland Athletics ($56.9 million),” Patrick Saunders, the Denver Post’s Colorado Rockies beat writer, tweeted.
While the terms of the deal are still unknown, experts in the field estimate that Ohtani may earn about $105 million a year from his endorsements and Dodgers salary next season.
All of this, nevertheless, will primarily depend on the contract’s conditions. The player requested a specific number of deferrals, which the team and MLB both vouch for. This will enable the team to balance its salary and add more talent. Similarly, because of the widespread media coverage of the agreement, his sponsorships will undoubtedly rise in the upcoming months.
Shohei Ohtani will hope to make a mark in the Dodgers jersey next season
Shohei Ohtani was first rumored to have visited the Blue Jays’ spring training facilities in Dunedin, Florida, and some pundits had Toronto rising as a serious candidate.
The Dodgers had been the early favorites to sign Ohtani. Over 135 games, the 29-year-old Ohtani blasted 44 home runs and drove in 95 runs. In the meantime, he made 23 starts on the mound and went 10-5 with a 3.14 earned run average.
His average compensation of $70 million per year with the LA Dodgers is 62% more than the previous high of $43,333,333 that pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer split after reaching deals with the New York Mets. Ohtani made about $42.3 million with the Angels, almost twice as much as he does now with an average contract.
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