The Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani $700 million to hit and pitch — but also because he can sell
abcnews.go.comShohei Ohtani’s jaw-dropping $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers has some similarities to other contracts for the world’s biggest sports stars, including soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with NFL quarterback Pa...
PHOENIX — Shohei Ohtani's jaw-dropping $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers has some similarities to other contracts for the world's biggest sports stars, including soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
In terms of his marketability, experts point to another name.
The real comparison? Try Taylor Swift.
The global music sensation's broad appeal — one that bridges the gap between generations and expands to other countries — is an extremely rare phenomenon that Ohtani shares. There's no doubt the Dodgers hope they can leverage the Japanese star' s arrival into even more money for a franchise that is already one of the most popular in Major League Baseball.
“He's rocketed into a stratosphere all his own,” sports agent Leigh Steinberg said.
Ohtani was expected to sign the biggest deal in MLB history as a free agent this offseason and didn't disappoint. He's the sport's best two-way player ever — not even Babe Ruth hit and pitched at the same time so effectively — and though he won't be able to pitch in 2024 following Tommy John surgery, he should provide plenty of value at the plate before he returns to the mound in 2025.
But the $700 million price tag was more than most imagined.
His $70 million average salary is 62% above the previous high of about $43.3 million, shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with deals they struck with the New York Mets. Ohtani’s average salary nearly doubles
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