Ohtani gets 700M

[bfs3]

His salary is more than 8 or 9 teams salary. How many seasons will he actually pitch in 10 years, as a starter or reliever? His arm won’t breakdown ( it already has) . 70 million at age 37,38, and 39? Insane.

If he pitches for 5 years and hits for 10 years is that really that much more than they would have paid a Bryce Harper and top pitcher this year? Neither of those add the media rights of an entire country or the advertising. I am shocked at the amount but I don’t think these are people that make a lot of bad investments. You’d think after the many contracts the Yankees have had that seemed to go bust that they wouldn’t sign an often injured Judge for 300 million or trade for Soto after we just signed a pitcher with Arthritis for over 150 million. But they keep making more money anyways. The Dodgers aren’t far from the Yankees of the west coast and will add even more international fans with this signing. All this for a league people argue is dying….

Japanese players have a pretty good track record of aging well.
I used to care and worry about when my team signed what I thought was a bad contract but I don’t anymore. They still make money, contracts are insured and it’s a risk they knew they were taking with lots of very high paid employees to evaluate it. If I buy tickets then show me something worth seeing.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I hate to say this, but if he can last most of the way through his contract then he's probably worth it. As a starting pitcher (except next season) he's probably worth $35-$40 million a year. As a position player and hitter he's worth 4/5 of about $40 million. So if you look at it that way he might be worth $70 million. But $700 million is a lot to risk on one guy. Imagine the cost of the insurance policy for that contract? Probably more than most guys make!

You’re not wrong. I HIGHLY doubt he makes it all the way through that contract as a pitcher.

 

[superjohn]

If he pitches for 5 years and hits for 10 years is that really that much more than they would have paid a Bryce Harper and top pitcher this year? Neither of those add the media rights of an entire country or the advertising. I am shocked at the amount but I don’t think these are people that make a lot of bad investments. You’d think after the many contracts the Yankees have had that seemed to go bust that they wouldn’t sign an often injured Judge for 300 million or trade for Soto after we just signed a pitcher with Arthritis for over 150 million. But they keep making more money anyways. The Dodgers aren’t far from the Yankees of the west coast and will add even more international fans with this signing. All this for a league people argue is dying….

Does winning even matter anymore? Treating teams like hedge funds is just weird.

 

[uconn13]

It makes me smile when I remember this, at the time, 10 year old baseball fans utter shock when the Yankees gave Dave Winfield his 10 year 10 million deal in 1980. A million per year to play ball?

Next thing you know, there will be a portable cassette player that comes with cheap headphones plugged in to listen to music wherever you go. What a world!

Except the battery cost to make it actually play the music, cut into my savings to fund my Wiffle ball addiction, forget the added cost for rolls of electrical tape to apply to the bats and balls. More lawns to mow, more sidewalks/driveways to shovel. At least packs of Topps were only 20¢!

 

[Dove]

https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1733579104916492574?s=20

I legitimately can’t believe this contract is real.

Oh, it's real. And spectacular.

 

[bfs3]

Does winning even matter anymore? Treating teams like hedge funds is just weird.

Yeah it should. They’re definitely investments for all of the owners of all the teams. I don’t think you sign as many guys as the Dodgers have without intending to win. Winning also affects the value so it’s hard to say what motivated them. Teams in many smaller markets you can definitely argue are just a place to grow their savings, while some I think do care but maybe attempt it in the smartest way they know how. OKC comes to mind as a team willing to pay to win but doing what they feel they need to in order to keep it sustainable. Oakland seems to be the opposite.

 

[bfs3]

You’re not wrong. I HIGHLY doubt he makes it all the way through that contract as a pitcher.

Some articles quoting other executives seem to say it doesn’t really matter. He will still make the team more money than he costs if he only plays well for 5/6 years and even if he only pitches a few. That’s how popular he is in Japan and the West Coast.

 

[HuskyHoosier]

It makes me smile when I remember this, at the time, 10 year old baseball fans utter shock when the Yankees gave Dave Winfield his 10 year 10 million deal in 1980. A million per year to play ball?

Next thing you know, there will be a portable cassette player that comes with cheap headphones plugged in to listen to music wherever you go. What a world!

Except the battery cost to make it actually play the music, cut into my savings to fund my Wiffle ball addiction, forget the added cost for rolls of electrical tape to apply to the bats and balls. More lawns to mow, more sidewalks/driveways to shovel. At least packs of Topps were only 20¢!

The first w t f contract I remember was gooden 3 years 9m

 

[Yardigan]

Man the Dodgers are desperate for another 'Real' ring. That 2020 ring....i don't know

Hunh, there was a WS in 2020?

 

[bfs3]

Oh, it's real. And spectacular.

Nice.

 

[storrsroars]

Shohei Ohtani just signed the biggest sports contract in the history of pro sports. Messi was just at $674M with Shohei just beating it with $700M.

Perhaps it is a way to even it out after being paid way below the market with the Angels, but it is a huge investment with no opt outs.

I do believe Dodgers will earn this back easily just having all the Japanese companies paying for ads at the stadium, and getting Dodgers broadcasted all over the world. This is much more than just a baseball investment. They are basically all in on the Shohei brand. As someone who has watched Shohei a ton, he is just an amazing athlete that's second to none. He will bring many more eyeballs even to the Dodgers

Now if somehow we can get Shohei to contribute to the UConn football NIL fund

I can just imagine the next negotiations with a guy like Adley Rutschman. "Sorry, you're a white guy from Portland. You have no value off the field."

 

[Yardigan]

Yeah but the Angels had a ton of Japanese sponsors. My guess is they’ll charge more than double for the LA market.

you mean, the Los Angeles Angels are not actually in LA?

 

[Huskyforlife]

700 million dollars to a guy who hasn’t made a World Series, and coming off an re injured elbow he had Tommy John surgery on in 2018. Feel like it’s very unlikely he’s worth that deal.

 

[superjohn]

700 million dollars to a guy who hasn’t made a World Series, and coming off an re injured elbow he had Tommy John surgery on in 2018. Feel like it’s very unlikely he’s worth that deal.

Forget about making a World Series, his team has yet to make the playoffs and yet to have a winning record.

 

[navery12]

Wild how he's getting $70M a year and it's still going to be a bargain for the Dodgers. He's worth every penny of that contract

 

[superjohn]

Wild how he's getting $70M a year and it's still going to be a bargain for the Dodgers. He's worth every penny of that contract

Not if it's about winning.

 

[navery12]

Not if it's about winning.

Do you actually believe Ohtani is the reason the Angels didn't win and not that the Angels are the worst run organization in baseball?

 

[bfs3]

you mean, the Los Angeles Angels are not actually in LA?

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim you mean? Nope. Even if they were the LA team will always be the Dodgers.

 

[superjohn]

Do you actually believe Ohtani is the reason the Angels didn't win and not that the Angels are the worst run organization in baseball?

Of course not.

 

[navery12]

Of course not.

Then I'm very confused by your last few comments about him never having a winning season and signing him not being about winning

 

[superjohn]

Then I'm very confused by your last few comments about him never having a winning season and signing him not being about winning

Do you actually think spending $700 million dollars on one player is a good recipe for winning championships?

 

[bfs3]

Not if it's about winning.

They’ll win. Adding him to a lineup with Freeman, Betts and a rotation stacked with some of the best young pitchers in baseball isn’t going to hurt. They also have some of the best prospects in baseball too. That’s even after graduating several to the majors. As a Yankees fan I’m jealous they managed to stack their roster and farm system with so many all stars and didn’t really need to trade any away. Just in existing contracts and team controllable years on prospects they should be good for the next 5 years minimum. That’s without adding more during that time.

 

[navery12]

Do you actually think spending $700 million dollars on one player is a good recipe for winning championships?

When you're the Dodgers and you're going to have a $300-350M payroll, yes absolutely

 

[jibsey]

He's a great player, saw him Homer in person last season back to back with Trout. In
person he appears much bigger than Trout, though Trout is shorter more muscular. But there's no way his arm holds up to keep him a starter, 2 way player. Maybe they want him for a closer. How does he warm up during games?

 

[superjohn]

When you're the Dodgers and you're going to have a $300-350M payroll, yes absolutely

We'll return to this.