Shohei Ohtani (29-LA Dodgers) has signed the highest-priced contract in North American professional sports beyond Major League Baseball (MLB), ushering in the $700 million (approximately KRW 92.4 billion) era for the first time.
Ohtani, considered the biggest name in this year’s free-agent market, announced his move to the Dodgers via social media on Tuesday (June 10).
Local media outlets such as ESPN reported that Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
The $700 million is the largest contract in Major League Baseball history. The previous high was Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, where Ohtani played.
Ohtani’s price tag is even more staggering when you narrow it down to pure free agent signings, excluding those who, like Trout, signed extensions during their contracts.
According to MLB.com, the previous record for this standard was the nine-year, $360 million contract that Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) signed after the end of last season, and Ohtani will receive nearly double that amount.
Even if you expand the scope to North American professional sports, no player is more expensive than Ohtani. His contract exceeds the 10-year, $450 million contract of NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. 보스토토 도메인
Ohtani’s contract also surpasses the $674 million ($889.7 billion) that Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) received from FC Barcelona from 2017-2021.
Ohtani’s $700 million contract exceeds market expectations.
It was widely expected that Ohtani, Major League Baseball’s top superstar, would sign a record-breaking deal worth more than $500 million.
With the Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Angels, San Francisco Giants, and other major league clubs in the race to sign him, there was even speculation that he could break the $600 million mark, but Ohtani signed an astronomical $700 million deal.