Dodgers' Updated Lineup, Rotation, Payroll After Shohei Ohtani's $700M Contract

The Los Angeles Dodgers made a major addition to an already talented roster by reportedly signing Shohei Ohtani to a historic contract on Saturday.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Ohtani has agreed to a 10-year deal that will be worth a total of $700 million. Here's how Ohtani fits into the Dodgers' lineup:

1. Mookie Betts, 2B

2. Freddie Freeman, 1B

3. Shohei Ohtani, DH

4. Will Smith, C

5. Max Muncy, 3B

6. James Outman, CF

7. Jason Heyward, RF

8. Miguel Rojas, SS

9. David Peralta, LF

Ohtani won't be able to pitch again until 2025 after undergoing elbow surgery in September to address a torn UCL in his right arm. However, he will be part of a pitching staff that could look a lot different from the one the Dodgers deployed in 2023.

Three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw still has not decided as to whether he will retire or return for another season. Julio Urias is a free agent this winter after his one-year deal came to an end. Tony Gonsolin still has three years of arbitration remaining, per Spotrac, so it can be expected that he and Ohtani will give Los Angeles a powerful 1-2 punch at the top of its rotation.

The historic contract will undoubtedly have significant financial ramifications for the Dodgers. According to Spotrac, the team has an active payroll of $117 million without factoring in Ohtani's deal, which doesn't have any opt-outs, per ESPN's Aiden Gonzalez.

With an average annual value of $70 million per year, Ohtani's deal could affect the team's other free-agent pursuits this winter. By the time all is said and done, Los Angeles could find itself over the $237 million luxury tax threshold for the 2024 season, which wouldn't be a surprise after its 2023 payroll was over $240 million.

However, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal pointed out that Ohtani's deal "includes 'unprecedented' deferrals" of the majority of his contract in order to "ease the Dodgers' luxury-tax and cash flow burdens to give the team the flexibility needs to be as competitive as possible." The deferrals reportedly were Ohtani's idea.

Still, the Dodgers presumably will happily pay whatever penalties they incur after landing one of the most unique players in baseball history.

Ohtani won his second American League MVP award in the last three years after once again dominating both at the plate and on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels. He hit .304 with 44 home runs and 95 RBI while going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132.0 innings pitched.

The Dodgers are coming off another disappointing finish to the 2023 season that saw them lose in the NLDS for the second year in a row despite going 100-62 in the regular season. It can be expected that the team will be poised to bounce back in 2024, as adding Ohtani makes Los Angeles the World Series favorite for years to come.