Absurd Shohei Ohtani contract details with Dodgers shatter pro sports records
There's never been a contract like this before.
Not only did Shohei Ohtani choose the Dodgers and their absurdly power-packed offer on Saturday afternoon, but he found a way to make it work that keeps Andrew Friedman and Co. flexible to seek more.
For all Dodgers fans who were skeptical of the current regime's recent efforts to win, we forgive you. It's entirely possible that Friedman and Co. didn't go far enough in at the 2023 trade deadline. But, if you can't ignore the past at a moment like this, when can you?
Ohtani, after a full day of watching a plane he wasn't riding in get tracked to Toronto, took agency on Saturday and announced on Instagram himself that a deal had been struck with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The deal is unlike any other in North American sports history. It includes the largest guarantee in any professional contract ever, but is packed with deferrals to help the Dodgers fit future gigantic contracts on their ledger as well. Think Tom Brady's deal in a sport not known for one-man offenses.
Dodgers Shohei Ohtani Contract Details are absurd
10 years and $700 million, but with the team's well-being in mind all the way 'til the end. There are no opt-outs in his contract, as were rumored in some other potential deals he didn't end up signing (eg, his Friday pact in Toronto). This marks the largest guarantee in professional sports history, per ESPN's Jeff Passan, though the assumption is that money will be moved around in order to make future signings convenient for the franchise.
All along, opposing fans tried to justify reasons to believe in the second-place finishers. They tried to figure out why the man who chose the underdog in 2017 would choose the favorite this time around. They tried to map out less obvious fits in a global effort to ignore the perfect one.
And, in the end, Ohtani chose the Dodgers long after they chose him, and both sides will be far richer for the pro
How Much Money Does Shohei Ohtani Make Per Day?
Glad you asked. Per day of the 162-game season, Ohtani will earn $432,098.77. Not a bad take home, but if you adjust for inflation, that's...still $432,098.77.