As if the initial details of Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers were not eye-opening enough, the specifics we’ve come across in recent days are even more shocking.
It was noted earlier in the week that Ohtani is deferring $680 million of his $700 million contract. Said payments will include $68 million per year from 2034-2043.
We now have some more information on the details of said deal, and they are even crazier than what we knew before.
“If specific change in Dodger personnel, player may opt out of contract at end of season the change occurs,” Ken Rosenthal report on Shohei Ohtani’s contract.
It’s not yet known who that individual is referring to. It could be anyone from teammate Mookie Betts to manager Dave Roberts and team president Andrew Friedman. But this is the Dodgers’ way of giving Ohtani a ton of power within the organization.
In addition to the record-breaking $700 million contract, one has to wonder whether this played a big role in Ohtani’s decision to join the Dodgers.
Rosenthal had previouly laid out some other details of the contract. That includes giving him a suite at Dodger Stadium for all regular season and postseason games. The Dodgers will also provide Ohtani with his own interpreter.
Related: The Los Angeles Dodgers with Shohei Ohtani in the lineup just might be unstoppable
Shohei Ohtani stats: .274 average, 171 HR, 437 RBI, .922 OPS, 38-19 record, 3.01 ERA
Not only is Ohtani considered the best player in the game today, but he’s also seen as one of the greatest of all-time given his two-way ability. Ohtani earned his second American League MVP this past season.
Despite this, he’s not slated to pitch in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery. It remains to be seen when Ohtani will be able to return to the bump.
Either way, the Dodgers made it clear in Ohtani’s contract just how much they value him. It’s record breaking in more ways than one. These new details add another layer to that.
Ohtani will officially be introduced at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.