The Quirkiest North American Sports Contracts Since 2000
When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed superstar Shohei Ohtani to a heavily deferred 10-year agreement, the contract immediately joined one of the great oddities in sports.
For many decades, any number of deals have included some truly bizarre clauses. Among the great stipulations, former MLB closer Rollie Fingers received a $100 stipend for mustache wax to maintain his iconic handlebar. Pretty incredible stuff.
Some quirks were meant to navigate salary-cap or luxury-tax rules, the latter of which happened with Ohtani.
Others, like for ol' Rollie, are just plain unique.
No matter where a particular clause falls in that range, we love 'em all. And these are some of my personal favorites since 2000. While all of the major North American professional leagues were considered, one in particular dominated the field.
Bonus: Manny Ramirez's Unlimited Sushi (and More!)
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Start with an asterisk, but it involves a former MLB star. This one is just too good to not mention.
During a prolific 19 years, Manny Ramirez surpassed the coveted mark of 500 home runs and earned a pair of World Series rings as a member of the Boston Red Sox.
But in 2011, a second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug derailed his career. For the next half-decade, he made a couple of comeback attempts but never reached the major-league level again. So, in 2017, he signed with the Kochi Fighting Dogs from a Japanese independent league.
Talk about a sweet gig, too.
The contract included a chauffeur, private hotel suite on road trips, optional practice attendance and unlimited sushi. Ramirez played a part of the 2017 season until a knee injury ended his tenure—and free sushi.
Alex Rodriguez's Highest-Paid Guarantee
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Especially relative to NFL quarterback contracts these days, "reset the market" is a popular phrase about new agreements.
In every historical case but one, to my knowledge, that can only happen at the expiration of a player's contract. Back in 2000, though, Alex Rodriguez ensured he could have that opportunity before it expired.
As part of a then-historic 10-year, $252 million agreement with the Texas Rangers, he had built-in bonuses for Years 9 and 10. In both seasons, the Rangers would be mandated to either raise A-Rod's salary $5 million or $1 million more than the highest-paid player in baseball.
Decent deal, I would say.
Now, since he exercised an opt-out option following the 2007 season, this clause never saw reality. Nevertheless, it was a very unique addition for Texas to acquire a superstar.
Roy Oswalt's Bulldozer
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Roy Oswalt spun a seven-inning gem to help the Houston Astros beat the St. Louis Cardinals in a decisive Game 6 of the 2005 National League Championship Series.
And it resulted in more than a trip to the World Series.
Prior to that performance, Houston owner Drayton McLane promised Oswalt an all-purpose tractor. Oswalt dazzled and ceded a single run in the series-clinching game, then signed an addendum to his contract to formally receive a Caterpillar D6N XL for his 1,000-acre ranch.
"Each year, with our players, I ask them what their goals are," McLane said. "I said, 'Roy, what is one of your goals?' He said, 'To own a bulldozer.' That kind of took me back a little bit. I had never heard that before."
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A.J. Burnett's Limo Rides
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In all seriousness: Nothing but respect for A.J. Burnett, who was simply looking out for his family.
After the 2005 season, he headed to free agency with a major payday on the horizon. Within a five-year, $55 million pact to join the Toronto Blue Jays, Burnett secured a much-appreciated perk for his family.
Burnett's wife, Karen, reportedly "detested" flying. The agreement included eight round-trip limousine rides for Karen and the couple's two children from their home in Maryland to Toronto.
Since he exercised an opt-out option following the 2008 campaign, Burnett played three seasons in Toronto.
Hopefully, his family took advantage of all 24 trips.
Troy Glaus' Equestrian Expenses
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Injuries limited Troy Glaus to a combined 149 games in 2003 and 2004, but the Arizona Diamondbacks swiped the All-Star third baseman with a four-year, $45 million free-agent deal after the latter year.
The next offseason, the D-Backs dealt Glaus to the Blue Jays—who clearly didn't have a problem with contract quirks.
Arizona initially signed the third baseman with a stipulation for "personal business expenses" up to $250,000 per year. Why? So that Glaus' wife, Ann, could finance her equestrian career.
Can't hate on someone providing for family!
Kyler Murray's Independent Study
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What a week it was in July 2022.
As the Arizona Cardinals inked Kyler Murray to a five-year, $230.5 million extension, they required four hours of "independent study" during a game week. The reaction to the clause, shall we say, did not place Murray in a favorable light as it questioned his work ethic.
Only a few days after the loud national fallout, the Cardinals removed the clause from the contract.
Still, this situation sparked an all-time great internet sleuthing moment. One user on Reddit found that Murray's career statistics were objectively worse on double XP weekends for Call of Duty games.
Look, man, I can't argue with the numbers.
Shohei Ohtani's Deferrals
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Finally, the most recent spark of why contract oddities again flared as a mainstream storyline.
The sweepstakes to land Shohei Ohtani ended in an expected place; the Dodgers inked the Japanese phenom to a 10-year contract. The details of the pact, however, expertly exploited MLB financial loopholes.
In order to limit the luxury-tax impact, the Dodgers deferred a gargantuan $680 million of the $700 million total. As a result, Los Angeles is paying Ohtani only $2 million per season through 2033 with a more manageable annual competitive balance tax of about $45 million.
The massive deferral helped the team continue to add stars around Ohtani. In the same offseason, the Dodgers traded for pitcher Tyler Glasnow and signed Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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