A stunning new report explains why the Los Angeles Dodgers may not only win the World Series, but they are now a real threat to take the New York Yankees’ best player away from them in the winter.
After scoring another win on Saturday night, the Dodgers are just two wins away from bringing the franchise their eighth MLB championship. It was the position they expected to be in after handing out over a billion dollars in contracts last offseason.
Related: Los Angeles Dodgers game today – Get details on Game 3 of the 2024 World Series
The Dodgers already had one of the best teams in baseball after the 2023 MLB season. However, last winter they were able to sign the best player in the game, Shohei Ohtani. They then added the most hyped rookie free-agent pitcher ever, Yoshinbobu Yamamoto. And they even signed veteran slugger Teoscar Hernandez.
They have a team built to win it all in 2024 and many more years to come. Yet, there is word the team overflowing with talent could add another superstar this winter. On Sunday, New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman reported the Los Angeles Dodgers “have interest” in pursuing impending free agent Juan Soto after the season.
But considering their already massive payroll how could they afford a contract that could be worth around $600 million?
- Juan Soto stats (2024): 288 AVG, .419 OBP, .569 SLG, 41 HR, 109 RBI, 128 R
How could the Los Angeles Dodgers afford to add Juan Soto’s massive contract?
It seems absolutely absurd that a team that is already paying the richest contract in MLB history would end up also adding the second richest. However, in his report, Heyman explained how realistic that might actually be.
As most baseball fans know, Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract is filled with deferrals that will pay him a large chunk a decade from now. The belief around the game was that he was being paid around $43.7 million. That number came via a players union estimate. But Heyman claims he is making closer to $30 million a year.
- Juan Soto contract (Projection): 12 years, $610 million
So adding a deal for Sot that pays him $40 to $50 million a year wouldn’t be as outlandish a tax hit as originally thought. The MLB insider then added a fascinating nugget of the monetary windfall the Los Angeles Dodgers have incurred away from the field due to Ohtani being on the roster.
“But the much larger benefit is the enormous profit the Dodgers are making via sponsorship and marketing opportunities,” Heyman wrote. “Two Asian airlines alone sponsor the Dodgers, the LA Times reported. Word is, that the club’s profit is actually many times the cost to them of Ohtani’s record contract.”
It all means that the Dodgers are bringing in massive revenue from Ohtani, as expected. So they could have an insane payroll with serious tax charges on it and still turn a strong profit while being in title contention for the next decade.
Related: Winners, losers from World Series Game 2: Tommy Edman, Aaron Judge and the Shohei Ohtani injury