The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially signed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Throughout the earlier parts of the offseason, it always seemed like the Dodgers would be favorites.
But, seeing how much money Ohtani would ask for was always intriguing.
He ended up signing a 10-year contract worth $700 million.
But, much more goes into that contract than meets the eye.
Ohtani has deferred $68 million of his annual salary each year.
So he will only be playing for $2 million per year over the next 10 years.
That allows the Dodgers to have extra money to spend on other players.
Another interesting clause in the contract was reported by Bob Nightengale.
He said Ohtani will have the ability to opt out of the deal if Mark Walter or Andrew Friedman leave the organization.
Shohei Ohtani can opt out of his $700 million contract with the Dodgers if Mark Walter is no longer the controlling owner or Andrew Friedman leaves the Dodgers, as the Associated Press 1st reported.
It’s called a Key Man clause, used by Joe Maddon when he left the Rays in 2014.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 14, 2023
It is curious as to why Ohtani’s contract is connected to the Dodgers’ owner and GM, but that is what happened.
With how the Dodgers have operated over the past decade the chances of these men leaving are slim.
Friedman has consistently put one of the best rosters on the field for the Dodgers.
Also, Walter has made it clear that he is willing to spend whatever is necessary to see his team win.
Outside of this “key-man clause,” Ohtani does not have an opt-out in his deal.
Unless something crazy happens, Ohtani will be a Dodger for the next 10 years.
It will be interesting to see how much success they can have now that the best player in the sport has joined their team.
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