Beyond just baseball, much of the sports world was glued to the MLB free agency decision of Shohei Ohtani heading into this offseason. Despite the process being kept fairly hush-hush, it produced plenty of hysteria befitting of this historic level of hype. In the end, though, the ending was what most of us expected.
Don't get me wrong, a mystery flight to Toronto and an all-in offer from the San Francisco Giants were certainly worthwhile subplots and red herrings, but this is how the saga was supposed to wrap up. The Dodgers checked every major box on Ohtani's list and offered a 10-year, $700 million contract to close the deal.
Many froze when they glanced at those numbers, but the real shock came when it was announced that the 29-year-old superstar will only be earning $2 million annually while playing for the Dodgers, with the rest being deferred down the road. If the rest of the country wasn't already rooting against LA, this should solidify their Evil Empire status.
And yet, this type of ingenuity must be applauded. The organization will have the opportunity to keep adding talent to this baseball super team, which in turn can further increase revenue. An abundance of pathways open up for the Dodgers all because of this unprecedented signing.
We have taken some extra time to process this incomprehensible plot twist but are now ready to grade the Dodgers on their Shohei Ohtani contract. Spoiler alert: They did pretty good. But how good, is the question.
The player: Shohei Ohtani
Grading this deal under a standard rubric was always going to be challenging because we have never seen a player who hits and pitches enter the free agent market. Evaluating dollar figures is thereby an arduous task. Then, you have to consider the transcendent impact Shotime carries with him.
Japan absolutely worships the man, as networks have posted record-breaking viewership numbers solely because Ohtani was in action. He will draw more international supporters to the Dodgers and continue to be a marketing goldmine. So, it is tricky to throw out words like “overpaid” and “absurd” in relation to this contract. Those determinations cannot be made quite yet.
Assuming he is healthy, however, Ohtani is an unequivocal difference-maker in the batter's box and on the mound (not pitching in 2024). He displays effortless power and vastly improved as an overall hitter this past season. The two-time American League MVP hit a career-high .304, blasted 44 home runs in only 135 games and led the MLB in slugging and OPS.
If LA's bats somehow go cold again in the National League Division Series next season, then Ohtani will ideally be able to breathe new life into his club. While he may be fallible like any great player, the three-time All-Star makes a pitcher's job exponentially harder, which in turn opens up things for the rest of the lineup.
Dodger Stadium is prepared to completely explode when he does pitch again, likely in 2025. For now, though, the team arguably boasts the best offensive weapon in the game.
The contract
We already touched on the terms of this monumental, yet financially flexible contract, but this has the potential to be an absolute bargain for owner Mark Walter. If Ohtani is plagued by injuries, then obviously this is a gamble gone wrong. Though, if he is able to at least hit during the entirety of the deal, then deferring $680 million can be a masterful investment for the Dodgers.
In short, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman now has loads of funds to allocate towards securing other premium players like Tyler Glasnow, and possibly Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Joining two Japanese sensations together, which piles on top of a roster that already includes future Hall of Famers in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, should have a substantial impact on the value of the franchise. A healthy and re-signed Clayton Kershaw would give LA one of the most talented squads in MLB history.
The potential accolades, World Series championships and dollars accrued from this baseball dream team could make the $68 million annual payments that are to start in 2034 a fairly painless exercise.
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani contract grade
You can probably see where this is going. Ohtani has the ability to help the Los Angeles Dodgers become a perennial postseason powerhouse rather than a popular October punchline. And he has the star power to elevate the brand of LA baseball to unforeseen heights in the 21st Century.
With those type of services being provided, there is only one grade I can stamp on this largely deferred, $700 million contract.
Grade: A+
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