According to his representative, Nez Balelo, the reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani has reached an agreement with the Dodgers on a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract after an intense negotiating process.
On Monday night, the team made the announcement in proper fashion.
Ohtani posted on Instagram on Saturday, saying, “To all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself.” “I want to keep pushing forward for the Dodgers and the baseball community until the very end of my playing career.”
Balelo released a statement saying, “This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player.” “Shohei is ecstatic to be joining the Dodgers team. He is eager to get started on this collaboration and designed his contract to show that both parties are genuinely committed to long-term success. Shohei and I would want to express our gratitude to all the organizations that showed interest in and regard for us, especially the amazing people we had the pleasure of getting to know even better during this process.
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“We would like to thank fans, the media, and the industry for their enthusiasm and thoughtfulness throughout this process. We know there was a lot of interest in it.”
The 29-year-old’s contract is reportedly the biggest in sports history globally, exceeding the $674 million agreement that soccer sensation Lionel Messi signed with FC Barcelona from 2017 to 21. (It also exceeds Kylian Mbappé’s estimated salary of $679 million should he choose to remain with PSG until 2025.)
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It is greater than the 10-year, $450 million extension signed by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in American professional sports history, and it is greater than former teammate Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million deal with the California Angels in baseball history.
In terms of free agent agreements, this one surpasses Aaron Judge’s nine-year, $360 million contract signed prior to the 2023 season by $340 million, making it the greatest in terms of money in MLB history. Additionally, it shatters the record for the average yearly value of a Major League Baseball deal, which was previously held by Justin Verlander and the Mets a year later after Max Scherzer established the mark at $43.3 million with the team prior to the 2022 season.
Ohtani, who turns 30 on July 5, has a contract that runs until 2033, the season he will be 39 years old. With two MVPs awarded unanimously twice, three All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger awards, and the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year, Ohtani is without a doubt the best two-way player in MLB ever.
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