LOS ANGELES, CA (SNN-TV) – Over the weekend, the most unique player in baseball history joined one of the most storied franchises in the world, for more money than anyone could have possibly imagined.
Shohei Ohtani’s historic contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers will see him defer $68M of his annual $70M salary, significantly lowering his new team’s payroll and potential tax burden.
Ohtani agreed on a 10-year, $700M contract with the Dodgers on Saturday, by far the richest in the history of North American professional sports. Ohtani is deferring more than 97% of his earnings. The deferred money — totaling $680M — will be paid to Ohtani between 2034 and 2043.
The deferrals were Ohtani’s idea, motivated largely by the thought of helping the Dodgers sign other players and made easier by his massive off-the-field earnings. Ohtani is believed to make upward of $45M annually through endorsements, making him by far the most marketable player in MLB. The Los Angeles Angels were believed to make more than $20M annually off that same marketability during his tenure there.
