Shohei Ohtani is a phenom and a record setter. His 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers couldn't be ordinary.
Signing a 10-year and US$700 million contract, Ohtani became the most-paid team sportsman in the history of North American sports.
Regarding single-season earnings, NFL star Russell Wilson reportedly plays in Ohtani's same league.
Outside North America, there's a soccer player who makes more money on the field per season. According to Forbes, French soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé earns $100 million yearly from Paris St. Germain.
It's the only triple-digit contract in team sports. Golfers Phil Mickelson ($104m), Dustin Johnson ($102m) and boxer Canelo Alvarez ($100m) belong to the same category as Mbappè.
The contract will make Ohtani super rich, but not immediately. Through a surprise move, the two-way Japanese phenom decided to defer more than 97% of his record contract. The Dodgers will pay him two million a year from 2024 to 2033 and 68 million a year from 2034 to 2043.
The move is allowed by the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement, which states: "There shall be no limitations on either the amount of deferred compensation or the percentage of total compensation attributable to deferred compensation for which a Uniform Player's Contract may provide."
For the record, Ohtani's off-field earnings top US$50 million per year.
The WBSC Baseball Player of the Year in 2015 started the 2023 season, leading Japan to their third World Baseball Classic title, earning the title of Baseball World Champion for the first time in Samurai Japan's history. Ohtani was honoured as the tournament's MVP.
He started 23 games as a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, including the opening day, posting a 10-5 record and a 3.14 earned run average.
He appeared in 135 games as the designated hitter, going 151-for-497, a .304 batting average, with 44 home runs and 95 runs batted in.
He earned a Silver Slugger Award at DH, the Edgar Martinez Award for the Most Outstanding DH, and was unanimously made the American League MVP for the second consecutive season.
Ohtani won't be able to pitch during the 2024 season. He underwent surgery on his right elbow in September. He is expected to be able to hit without restrictions in 2024 and back to his two-way routing in 2025.
