When I was asked how much I would pay Shohei and for how many years I would sign him too my answer was. 30 years and one Billion Dollars. I was for all intensive purposes taking out a mortgage on the two way superstar. Mitigating cost and the risk that he won't be able to pitch as well or for as long as he has after his second TJ surgery. That number was 33,333,333.33 a year for 30 years, welp the Dodgers brass and Ohtani did me dirty. This wasn't a Joke, is his new deal with L.A. ? Nope
It was announced yesterday the Dodgers will pay The Global face of baseball 700 million dollars over 10 years, but that ten years is misleading. According to Fabain Ardaya of the AthleticÂ
"In an effort to enable the Dodgers to continue spending around stars Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, Ohtani agreed to defer all but $2 million of his annual salary — $68 million of his $70 million per year — until after the completion of the contract. The deferred money is to be paid out without interest from 2034 to 2043."
Got DamnÂ
Now this doesn't mean the Dodgers will only be hit with 2 million a year in luxury tax. That number will be north of 45 million. Ohatani clearly and brilliantly wanted to help his new team out like no ballplayer ever has in the past. 2 million sounds like chump change but when you consider the slugging pitcher earns more than 40 million a year in endorsement revenue he won't be passing the hat in the stands to cover his monthly nut. Thanks for the info sportico .Â
This deal and this destination will only endear the already most lovable man in sports history more to the buying public. So you can expect that number to grow and grow over the next few decades. The only person I feel sorry for in all this is his tax attorneys.Â
As for how this all will affect the rest of this year and future free agent contracts remains to be seen. We have all celebrated Bobby Bonilla or Manny day. Every July 1st Bonilla receives 1.2 million from the Mets in deferred money from 2010 through 2035. Manny Ramirez received 2 million from the Red Sox from 2010 through 2026. Not too shabby. But this ? This is a powerball payout like no other I've seen outside of The Powerball. The landscape and pay scales have changed in ways none of us saw coming the day Curt Flood put his head on the chopping block for Bowie Kuhan back in 1969. I applaud Mr. Ohtani and the Dodgers for getting more creative than anyone else in the game, well everyone but me that is.