Shohei Ohtani’s Historic $700M Dodgers Contract Has Athletes, Fans in Complete Awe

Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has made his free agency decision, and the deal was quite lucrative.

Ohtani chose to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 10-year deal worth $700 million dollars. This is the largest contract in North American sports history and it’s truly in a league of its own, as the next highest is his former teammate Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million deal.

Ohtani’s contract was widely expected to shatter the previous mark but the staggering number still had fans and other athletes alike in shock.

While the contract value is certainly unprecedented, Ohtani’s ability and talent is just as rare. He is a two-time MVP, three-time All-Star and dominates on the mound and at the plate. He is a career .274 hitter with 171 home runs and 437 RBIs. On the mound, he has a 38-19 overall record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts.

He joins a Dodgers lineup that is loaded and will eventually make a huge impact in the rotation after he recovers from his torn UCL that will keep him off the mound in 2024. Fans on social media expressed excitement at seeing him don the Dodger blue and remain in Los Angeles.

While it was a day to celebrate for Dodgers fans, it also served as a huge tease for Toronto Blue Jays fans.

Reports from Friday had many thinking Ohtani was going to sign with the Blue Jays, and many expressed either sympathy for Toronto or poked fun at the premature celebrations from the fans.

In the end, he stays in Los Angeles but will be with a franchise that has had a very different recent history than his previous team.

Ohtani spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels but the team never reached the postseason. The Dodgers, on the other hand, have made the playoffs 11 consecutive times and won 10 NL West division titles during that period.

The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series and have expectations to take home the championship every season. Ohtani has repeatedly stated a desire to contend, and perhaps no other franchise can offer that as well as the Dodgers.