Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers Agree to Record-Setting 10-Year, $700M Contract in Free Agency

Two-time American League MVP Shohei Ohtani is going to bring his prodigious talent to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a record-setting 10-year, $700 million contract, he announced on Saturday.

According to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Ohtani's historic contract includes no opt-outs, locking him in with the club through 2034.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal added that Ohtani's deal includes an "unprecedented" amount of deferred compensation:

Ohtani received a qualifying offer from the Angels on Nov. 6 that would guarantee him $20.3 million, but it was a ceremonial move because there was no chance he was going to accept it.

Losing Ohtani in free agency does give the Angels draft compensation for 2024, but that's a small consolation prize for losing the best player in the sport.

Despite having Ohtani and Mike Trout, arguably the two best players of this generation, the Los Angeles Angels are tied with the Detroit Tigers for the longest active playoff drought in Major League Baseball (nine seasons).

There were rumblings going into the trade deadline that the Angels could look to deal the two-way superstar to rebuild their farm system. Instead, general manager Perry Minasian announced on July 27 that the Angels were going to be buyers in an attempt to make the playoffs with Ohtani.

Things quickly fell apart from there, and the team placed six players on waivers—including three whom they acquired ahead of the trade deadline (Lucas Giolito, Randal Grichuk and Reynaldo López)—to save money over the final month of the season.

The final nail in the coffin for the 2023 Angels was when Ohtani had surgery to repair a torn UCL in his pitching elbow. They were out of playoff contention by that point, but it ended his season after 135 games played.

Ohtani had his best season as a hitter and remains dominant on the mound in 2023. He led the AL with a .412 on-base percentage, .654 slugging percentage, 1.066 OPS and 44 homers.

As a pitcher, Ohtani finished with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. He won't take the mound again until 2025 as a result of the surgery he had in September.

Despite not playing in a game after Sept. 3, Ohtani was a unanimous choice for AL MVP. It was his second time in three years winning the award.

Ohtani is one of the most unique athletes in all of professional sports. MLB took notice of his universal appeal by essentially making him the centerpiece of the 2021 All-Star Game. He participated in the Home Run Derby, started the Midsummer Classic as a pitcher and hit leadoff for the AL.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred presented the two-time All-Star with the Historic Achievement Award in October 2021. He became the first person to receive the award since Derek Jeter following his retirement after the 2014 season.

Prior to the 2021 campaign, Ohtani had already proved his value as a hitter.

He won American League Rookie of the Year in 2018 when he posted a .925 OPS, 22 homers and 61 RBI as a hitter. He also had a 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings on the mound, but he had to undergo Tommy John surgery after the season.

The elbow surgery prevented Ohtani from pitching in 2019, but he still had a solid offensive year with a .286/.343/.505 slash line and 18 homers in 106 games.

Ohtani didn't hit at quite the same level in 2022 as he did during his MVP season the previous year, but it's only because he set the bar so high. He still finished with a .273/.356/.519 slash line with 34 homers, 95 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

What little value he lost as a hitter in 2022, he more than made up for with his performance on the mound. He had a career-best 2.35 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 219 strikeouts in 166 innings.

The Dodgers have added the single most impactful player in the sport to their roster. Even if Ohtani doesn't get back to being a top-level pitcher as a result of his latest elbow surgery, this season proved he can be the one of the best offensive players in MLB.

The Dodgers seemed like they were going to take a step back in 2023 after a quiet offseason. It was technically their worst performance in a 162-game season since 2019, but they still won 100 games and captured the NL West for the 10th time in 11 years.

Things fell apart in the playoffs when the Dodgers got swept in the NLDS by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers were favored to sign Ohtani when he became a free agent, so this is hardly a surprise for a team that has established itself as one of the model franchises in the sport.

Manager Dave Roberts told reporters earlier this week that Ohtani was their "top priority."

Ohtani adds more depth to Los Angeles' lineup, where he can slot in as the replacement for J.D. Martinez at DH.

The rich keep getting richer, but it's the reason why the Dodgers have been as successful as they have been for the past decade.