Headlines centered on the record-breaking figures when Shohei Ohtani got the largest deal in baseball history. However, one particular fact caught our attention: a whopping $680 million in decades’ worth of deferred payments. The structure appeared strange, even unprecedented, to many. But for Ohtani, it was a well-considered choice motivated by vision, dedication, and a pledge to his club.
Major League Baseball has a long history of using deferred contracts. Players and organizations have frequently employed such arrangements to balance financial demands, as seen in Bobby Bonilla’s well-known extended payments and Max Scherzer’s Washington contract. But they are all dwarfed by Ohtani’s accord. Why would the most recognizable player in the game postpone such a huge amount of money? Ohtani’s steadfast dedication to winning is the solution.
Stan Kasten, the president and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, discussed his response to Ohtani postponing the contract, according to USA Today. According to Kasten, Ohtani felt that his significant off-field endorsements made him unnecessary for the $70 million yearly wage. The Dodgers would then be able to assemble a more formidable club around him thanks to the savings. The Dodgers’ annual luxury tax commitment was lowered from $70 million to $46 million as a result of the deferrals, he continued.
In the same post, Shohei Ohtani talked about the reason for this decision. Ohtani said, “You know, Mark, Andrew, the owners, we all made a promise to each other that we would go out and create the best team to put out on the field. And we were able to win the World Series, so in that sense, we were able to keep our promise towards each other.
