MLB: Shohei Ohtani signs $700 million contract with Dodgers

Since yesterday, the sports world has been keeping a close eye on Shohei Ohtani. The MLB superstar, who excels as both a hitter and a pitcher, was possibly the most coveted free agent in years… in sports in general.

To give you an idea, it’s as if Connor McDavid and Andrei Vasilevskiy were combined into one player. It’s not a perfect comparison, but it’s not crazy either.

Yesterday, everyone (or almost everyone) thought Ohtani was going to sign with the Blue Jays… but in the end, it was the Dodgers (the favorites all along) who signed him. Ohtani announced it himself on his Instagram account, while thanking the Angels for his MLB debut.

We’re talking about a 10-year contract worth… $700 million. And best of all, we’re talking about a “closed” contract, meaning Ohtani can’t get out of his contract before it’s up.

It’s an absolutely monstrous contract (and, unsurprisingly, we’re talking about the biggest guaranteed-money contract in sports history), but for the best player in the league (by far), it’s worth it. No player can impact a game the way he can.

That said, it’s important to note that he won’t be making $70 million a year for 10 years. In fact, the Japanese has decided to sign a pact in which the majority of the contract will be paid to him later.

In the end, however, it’s a huge blow for Jays fans, who had high hopes of seeing the Japanese player join them. Yesterday’s saga really gave hope to Canadian fans, but in the end, Ohtani remains in California in new colors.

In any case, Ohtani’s clan can thank Robert Herjavec, whose private jet yesterday must have given the Dodgers cold sweats. It may have forced the club to improve its offer, and at $700 million, it was hard to refuse. No, the Expos couldn’t have afforded it.

A record MLB deal for professional sports, then, and Ohtani won’t be moving to Canada for years to come. A major coup for the Dodgers… but a major blow for the Jays.

Extension

In acquiring Ohtani, the Dodgers take an important option on the titanic Japanese market. The entire country is likely to support Ohtani… and therefore buy Dodgers products.

And on the baseball front, Ohtani joins a lineup that already boasts stars Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, plus a guy like Max Muncy who can hit the long ball. It won’t be an easy line-up to face.

It’s worth noting that Ohtani’s value is higher than that of the Arizona Coyotes organization.