On Dec 9, Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Shohei Ohtani announced on Instagram that he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent. Ohtani set the record for the highest salary ever made by any sports figure when he signed a $700 million contract over 10 years.
With this contract, Ohtani will make about $70 million dollars annually, $11.7 million per month, and $432,000 per game, according to the Bleacher Report,. The contract beat the previous record of 12 years and $426.5 million set by Mike Trout.
“I think that it is crazy that he is getting paid so much,” sophomore Mallory Parent said, “I also cannot believe that this is the most a sports player has ever been payed,”
Multiple MLB teams were trying to get Ohtani to join them. These include the Toronto Blue Jays, The San Francisco Giants, The New York Yankees, and The Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani said that he ultimately chose the Dodgers because of the money and the ability to stay local, according to.ESPN
Instead of specializing in one position, Ohtani is both a pitcher and a hitter. This is called a “two-way player” and it is uncommon in the MLB, which made him even more of a desirable player for each team. Ohtani explained that another reason for joining the Dodgers is that he would be able to remain a two-way player, according to freshman Lela Nachury-Reif
“I think it’s so cool that he can play two positions so well,” Nachury-Reif said, “It is very uncommon that a player can excel in both pitching and hitting,”
While this deal will largely benefit the Los Angeles Dodgers, adding to their star lineup of Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, things could look bad for their rival, the San Francisco Giants The Giants should also try pivoting to the trade market themselves, according to MLB,.
“I hope that The Giants can preserve and get better in the off-season,” Parent said, “I am just excited for the upcoming season and to see what it entails.”
