58 Shohei Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, released a statement describing the deal: “This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player. He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success.” Ohtani’s total was 64% higher than baseball’s previous record, a $426.5 million, 12-year deal for Angels outfielder Mike Trout that began in 2019.
Shohei Ohtani is unlike any player in baseball history. His seven hundred million dollar contract is unprecedented. In 2023, he won the Most Valuable Player Award unanimously for the second year in a row, making history as the first player to do so. Despite playing in just three games in September, he led the majors in OPS and had the eighth-highest weighted runs created metric since 2010. On the mound, he had the second-lowest batting average and the fourth-highest strikeout rate among pitchers with 100 innings pitched.
After all, Ohtani was arguably the most sought-after free agent in history. His 28.6 bWAR from 2021 to 2023 is the third-highest three-year stretch since 1980, trailing only Barry Bonds’ 32.8 from 2001 to 2003 and Randy Johnson’s 29.0 from 2000 to 2002. Every team would want Ohtani. In the end, he’s going to the Dodgers, and even though he won’t pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery, Ohtani received an incredible 10-year, $700 million contract. The $700 million figure is absolutely stunning — even factoring in Ohtani’s off-the-field revenue he’ll bring to the Dodgers. It’s the largest guaranteed contract in MLB history, topping the $426.5 million deal Mike Trout signed with the Angels in 2019 (Julio Rodriguez’s complex contract with the Mariners could top out at $469.3 million based on various incentives and options). At $70 million per season, his annual average salary obliterates the previous high of $43.3 million shared by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander (on much shorter deals). The number will be analyzed and criticized and no doubt leave fans of small-market teams angry and disgusted and left to wonder how they can compete with this behemoth in Chavez Ravine.
His $70m average salary is 62% above the previous high of $43,333,333, shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with deals they struck when signing with the New York Mets. Ohtani’s average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3m he earned with the Angels. Ohtani’s decision came six years and one day after he first agreed to his deal with Angels. Ohtani has redefined modern baseball since he chose the Angels as his first major league team. Nobody has come close to matching his simultaneous achievements at the plate and on the mound, becoming one of the majors’ elite players in both roles whenever healthy. Along the way, he’s become one of the most marketable athletes in the world, sure to boost ticket sales, TV ratings and sponsorship revenues wherever he goes. He was a unanimous AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 – he finished second in 2022 – winning this year despite injuring his elbow in late August and an oblique muscle in early September. Ahead of his 30th birthday on 5 July, he has a .274 average with 171 homers, 437 RBIs and 86 stolen bases along with a 39-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings. Ohtani has 34.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference.
When his arm was finally healthy in 2021, Ohtani put together a season for the ages. He won the AL MVP award with 46 homers and 100 RBIs at the plate while going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA on the mound. He improved as a pitcher in 2022, going 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP while still driving in 95 runs at the plate, but finished behind Aaron Judge in the MVP voting after the Yankees star hit an AL record 62 homers. After winning the MVP award in the World Baseball Classic last March while leading Japan to victory – he struck out Trout to end the tournament – Ohtani maintained his two-way magnificence this year, hitting 44 homers with a career-high 1.066 OPS while going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA before tearing his elbow ligament again on 23 August. He didn’t hit after 3 September because of the strained right oblique. Along with his elbow injuries, Ohtani’s transcendent success has come with another significant damper: He has never made the playoffs or even played on a winning team in the majors. Owner Arte Moreno’s Angels haven’t won more than 80 games or finished higher than third in the AL West during his tenure alongside Trout, a three-time AL MVP, and a perennially disappointing cast of supporting players. Ohtani earned $42,269,259 in his six seasons with the Angels. After receiving a signing bonus of $2,315,000 with his initial deal, he had salaries of $545,000, $650,000, $259,259 (in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season), $3m, $5.5m and $30m.