Ohtani Becomes The $700 Million Dollar Man
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
By Matthew Kennedy
Shohei Ohtani is in Los Angeles, but this time with the Dodgers! He signed the biggest sports contract in history this past weekend: 700 Million over the next 10 years to do what he does best – play baseball, and be damn good at it.
The 2x MVP is recovering from a UCL injury that cut his pitching season short last year, and will likely not take the mound for the Dodgers until 2025. This will give the phenom all the time in the world to focus on his hitting, a luxury he has yet to have in the majors.
As for the contract, although it may seem like just another juggernaut deal, it is actually quite unusual. Ohtani will actually only be paid $2 million a year, with a massive annual deferral of $68 million. Ever the selfless superstar, Ohtani agreed to this deal to help his
new team pay other top guys while he’s there. In other words, he wants to win, and win soon.
The two-way superstar is coming off a ridiculous year in which he somehow topped his 2021 MVP campaign, leading the AL in homers and OPS to go along with 10 wins on the mound and a 3.14 ERA.
In related news, the Dodgers also look to acquire another huge Japanese player: 25-year-old Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is being called one of the greatest pitching prospects of all time. Many other teams are in the running for the NPB’s Orix Buffaloes superstar, including the Yankees and Mets.
