The Dodgers Will Pay Ohtani Most of The $700 Million After He is Retired

Shohei Ohtani, who signed a 10-year contract worth $700 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend, will have his dollar stretched out.

Yesterday, it was reported that Ohtani will make $2 million per season for the duration of the 10-year deal and receive the remaining $680 million in deferred payments between 2034 and 2043. 

This will help the Dodgers in the short run by giving them financial flexibility to sign and trade for other players. However, it also ensures that the Dodgers will be on the hook for the bulk of his contract after his playing days are over. There's a good chance that Ohtani will be the team's highest paid player between 2034 and 2043 and he will be long done playing baseball. In which case, the Dodgers aren't going to have a lot of flexibility. Of course, there is no guarantee that Ohtani will still be playing in 2030. 

To be sure, it is not unprecedented for a team to continue paying a player long after his career is finished. Just ask Bobby Bonilla not only with the New York Mets, but also with the Baltimore Orioles. Bonilla gets a little more than $1.5 million combined from both teams. The O's will be paying him $500,000 through 2028 while the Mets will be paying him $1.19 million through 2035. 

But Bobby Bonilla Day will pale in comparison to Shohei Ohtani Decade. 

Oh well. Good work if you can find it.