MLB insider reminds Dodgers fans of hilarious reality with Shohei Ohtani's contract

July 1 marked Bobby Bonilla Day, an annual tradition for the Mets. They've paid Bonilla $1.19 million every year since 2011, and will continue to do so through 2035. But it's not just Bonilla and the Mets; the Orioles are paying Chris Davis around $1.4 million through 2037 and the Nationals are paying Max Scherzer $15 million through 2028, among others.

Bob Nightengale reminded fans that the Dodgers will also join that list in 2034, when they start paying Shohei Ohtani $68 million annually.

If you needed a refresh, Ohtani deferred $680 million of his total 10 year, $700 million contract with assurances that the Dodgers would do what the Angels always failed to: build around him. And they certainly have. Ohtani never got to a postseason with the Angels, and then he got to his first and won a World Series ring in his first year with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers still have eight seasons and some change when they're paying Ohtani just $2 million a year, so the deferred money is a problem for the 2034 Dodgers, but it's unlikely the team will be overly concerned about affording it.

Bob Nightengale reminded fans just how much money Dodgers owe Shohei Ohtani in deferred money

The Dodgers have never disclosed exactly how much money they make in Ohtani merch, the Japanese sponsors he's enticed, or even the revenue from the ticket sales for fans who come purely to see Ohtani, but it feels safe to assume that they've already paid off the full $70 million from his first year, and then some. Last year, AJ Pierzynski insisted on Foul Territory that they made as much as $120 million.

Ohtani doesn't have much to worry about either. Although it's also impossible to know how much he's worth individually, the amount of advertisements with his face on them in Japan probably means that he barely registers the Dodgers' $2 million hitting his account.

With all of the money the Dodgers will rake in just by having Ohtani on the team, by the time his contract is up, the front office might very well pat themselves on the back and marvel at what a bargain they got.

Bobby Bonilla Day is an annual tradition for the "LOL Mets" crowd, but no one's going to be laughing at the Dodgers by the time Ohtani's playing career is over.