Shohei Ohtani joins big-money club with massive contract with Los Angeles Dodgers
abcnews.go.comShohei Ohtani, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Patrick Mahomes and Mike Trout are among the world’s top athletes, each with a long list of epic accomplishments
Shohei Ohtani, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Patrick Mahomes and Mike Trout. Five of the world's top athletes, each with a long list of epic accomplishments.
Well paid, too.
Ohtani cashed in on his success on Saturday, agreeing to a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is almost assuredly the biggest deal in the history of the four major North American sports.
Ohtani joins an exclusive list of sports stars with financial records to go along with their record-breaking numbers on the field. Here is a closer at a couple of the highest-paid players in sports:
Ohtani is essentially two elite baseball players in one body, and his new deal with the Dodgers is a reflection of his unique skillset and immense value.
The two-way star was a unanimous winner of the AL MVP award this year for the second time. He batted .304 with 44 homers, 95 RBIs and 20 steals for the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander also went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts on the mound.
His $70 million average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3 million he earned with the Angels. It also exceeds the entire payrolls of Baltimore and Oakland this year.
Like Ohtani, Messi's contract is indicative of his value to his team on and off the field.
Messi, 36, provided a big boost for Major League Soccer when he announced in June that he planned to join Inter Miami. He won the men’s Ballon d’Or — presented annually to soccer's top player — for a record eighth time in October.
Messi's Inter Miami deal is for 2 1/2 seasons, and it pays him between $50 million and $60 million
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