(LibertySociety.com) – Japanese MLB player Shohei Ohtani secured the largest 10-year contract in baseball history with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The $700 million contract blew Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426 million contract out of the water.
Ohtani will now be one of the highest-paid athletes across the globe. Notably, he agreed to defer payouts of the largest portion of his contract until it is completed. He will be paid just $2 million per year and then receive a lump sum at the end of the 10 years. He made the announcement on December 9 on Instagram, effectively turning down deals offered by three other teams. Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, released a statement following the announcement. He thanked the other organizations that were interested in signing Ohtani, noting that there were many respectful people involved in the process. He said that Ohtani “structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides.”
Ohtani pitched for the Angels for several years but will not be pitching for the Dodgers at the outset. Back in September, he underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his pitching arm. He will have no restrictions regarding hitting in the 2024 season and is expected to begin pitching again in 2025.
According to USA Today, the Dodgers will be saving money by signing Ohtani, who is an all-star hitter and pitcher. If the team had signed contracts with two separate players, it would have cost more money. Ohtani won the American League MVP award in 2021 and 2023 and came in second in 2022. He ranks second in extra-base hits behind the Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olsen. He is fourth in the ranking for the number of home runs hit since 2021, totaling 124 and averaging 41 per season. He is tied with Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease, both averaging 11.4 strikeouts in nine innings. He will start the 2024 season as a designated hitter and will bat in the middle of the lineup.
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