The $700 Million Man

Shohei Ohtani is probably the most unknown superstar in the world. When the 29-year-old Japanese climbs onto the podium at his press conference on a sunny and warm December day in Los Angeles, he looks like a graduate of an elite US university in a blue suit with a blue tie. However, the friendly eyes are not looking at proud relatives, but rather at reporters, photographers and more than 30 camera teams, most of whom come from abroad. Los Angeles.

Why the hustle and bustle? Ohtani is not only the best baseball player on the planet – he is also the first athlete with a contract worth $700 million (€632.63 million) since the deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is a milestone in professional sports. Football superstars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé, NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, NBA legend LeBron James, golfer Jon Rahm as a new addition to the Saudi LIV tour – none of them can keep up.

There are several reasons why Ohtani, of all people, who is almost unknown in Europe, Africa and many other areas of the world, got such a mega deal and, according to the majority of sports and marketing experts, is worth it. The most important thing: The Japanese is simply the best baseball player. “Shohei is arguably the most talented baseball player to ever play the game,” Andrew Friedman said at Ohtani’s introduction.

As president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friedman is naturally biased, after all, he made the deal possible. But Ohtani is also objectively the most valuable professional in Major League Baseball – because he can not only hit, but also throw and therefore play in the crucial position in offense and defense for his team. He is very, very good at both.

The Dodgers had already wanted to sign Ohtani when he graduated from high school. When it became apparent that he was coming onto the market after six years with the Los Angeles Angels and after his second award as the league’s most valuable player, it was clear: in order to keep him, a contract was needed, like the one in baseball and the professional world -Sport has never existed. For comparison: In December 2000, the Texas Rangers paid a then record sum of $252 million for Alex Rodrigues for ten years.

The highlight: Ohtani gets the money, but not now and not in the next ten years. The Japanese agreed with the Dodgers on $68 million annually from 2034 to 2043. That makes sense for both parties. The Dodgers have to pay less luxury tax and can first make money with Ohtani. There is no doubt about this because of the enormous advertising value, especially for Japanese companies. In his homeland, Ohtani is what LeBron James is in the USA or Kylian Mbappé in France.

According to information from US media, Ohtani currently earns $50 million annually from sponsorship contracts alone. So he doesn’t need the Dodgers’ salary to live a good life. If he is no longer active in ten years, he will continue to receive millions from the Dodger payments.