The Los Angeles Dodgers shocked Major League Baseball when they signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract in December 2023, which at the time represented the largest deal in professional sports history.
Ohtani’s contract with the Dodgers included unprecedented deferrals as all but $20 million of the total value will be paid out from 2034-2043.
Ohtani’s record-breaking contract was eventually surpassed by Juan Soto, who signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets before the 2025 season.
Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo indicated that the two-way star could have landed a bigger contract but has no regrets over the deal he signed or his decision to join the Dodgers, via Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times:
“Not at all,” Balelo said. “We wouldn’t do anything different. He won a championship. He went to the right team. Why would we do anything different? No regrets. Nothing.”
The present-day value of Ohtani’s contract with the Dodgers is only $460 million, but that doesn’t include the additional $100 million in endorsements he earns each season.
Ohtani accepted the deferrals in his contract after the Dodgers vowed to continue improving their roster with the savings. They did just that and won the World Series in Ohtani’s first season with the team, which saw him join the 50-50 club en route to winning a third MVP Award.
Ohtani could have signed the same deal with the Los Angeles Angels, but they reportedly decided against offering him those terms. He spent the first six seasons of his big league career with the team and never reached the playoffs, which was a big factor in his decision to join the Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani not pitching until after the All-Star break
Ohtani is expected to return to the mound this year after not pitching at all during the 2024 season. The 30-year-old has been throwing two times per week, but is still months away from getting into a big league game and reportedly won’t do so until after the All-Star break.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
