“700 million? For a baseball player?! That’s ridiculous!”

My mom may have had a point when she said this a few days ago, but I would argue that while it is ridiculous, it’s also very much warranted. Shohei Ohtani just made history by signing the largest contract in not only MLB history, but in the entire history of sports as well. His 10 year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers is the kind of money most of us wish we had, but will almost certainly never come close to reaching. It’s a deal that has angered many while also perplexing others, a truly monumental moment which baseball and sports fans will be talking about for years to come.

To put it into perspective, let me explain why this deal happened in the first place. Ohtani just came off of another unprecedented season in which he smashed 44 home runs while also pitching at a 3.14 ERA (earned run average, equivalent to goals against in hockey). Two-way players in baseball are extraordinarily rare, as it is both very difficult and very taxing to master both pitching and hitting. He unsurprisingly won his second MVP, and he became the first player in MLB history to earn a unanimous MVP vote twice. Only the greatest players manage to do that, and in Ohtani’s case, an argument could be made that he is the greatest baseball player of all time. I would probably agree, if I had to be honest.

I mentioned above that the reactions towards this deal have been mixed, with many looking at it from a negative perspective. Many of them have pre-existing biases against the Dodgers, mainly due to their continued dominance and their resemblance to the Evil Empire Yankees from the Jeter years. Others are soured Blue Jays fans, as there were many rumors and false reports suggesting Ohtani would sign with the Jays instead of the Dodgers or Giants. Heck, tens of thousands of Jays fans were watching the live feed of a private jet flying from Anaheim to Toronto because some moron falsely reported that Ohtani was on his way to sign a contract there. That was a crazy day, I’ll tell you.

While both of these perspectives are understandable, the reaction to the deferred money in Ohtani’s contract is far more pronounced, with many calling the deal itself terrible for baseball. To put it simply, Ohtani’s contract states that instead of making his expected $70 million per year for the next 10 years, he will instead make only $2 million for those 10 years, with the rest of the money coming in afterwards at $68 million for the 10 years after the initial contract is complete. The fact that this is legal according to the MLB’s rules is pretty stupid, and it’s another example of the rich teams getting richer while the poor ones are staying poor.

Despite all of the valid outrage, I’m going to play devil’s advocate and defend this contract, as I do think it largely makes sense. For starters, Ohtani was always going to get money like this, regardless of where he went. Every team who was considered a serious finalist for him offered him around $600 million, and considering what he’s done the last 3 seasons, that is not only money that Ohtani has 100% earned, it’s also the price you have to pay for the type of talent that he is. It would be disrespectful to call him a generational talent, as I don’t really think that term fully encompasses his accomplishments. This is a guy who comes around once a century, maybe even a millennium. We’re talking someone who will likely be seen as the undisputed GOAT of baseball when he retires. By all means, give him as much money as he wants! He’s earned it, and he’s also earned the right to ask for that much.

Secondly and finally, the Dodgers aren’t just making a baseball decision here, they’re also making an admittedly savvy business decision as well. Ohtani is a brand in Japan, an icon who is always in the news and the papers wherever you go. With several million Japanese fans buying merchandise and coming to America to watch him play, along with the multi-million endorsement deals Ohtani will sign, the Dodgers are not only going to be able to completely afford paying him everything he’s owed, they’re also growing their global brand in the process. This contract wasn’t just about the player, it’s about selling an appealing product as well. Every team should function like that, in my opinion.

That being said, what about Ohtani’s health? He’s coming off of what has been reported to be his second Tommy John (elbow) surgery, which has made it so he won’t be able to pitch until the 2025 season. Speaking of pitching, even though he has claimed that he wants to continue doing so, what happens if his body simply won’t allow him to do it anymore? That would then mean that the Dodgers have spent $700 million on a designated hitter, which is a pretty dumb idea when it comes down to it. Even if he became an infielder, that is still a lot of money for a guy whose career high in home runs is 46.

My answer to both of those questions is that I don’t really think it’ll matter. Like I said before, Ohtani is not just a baseball player, but a brand as well. Even if he is unable to pitch anymore and is forced to focus purely on batting, he will still have the entire nation of Japan on his side, and he will still be a very dangerous weapon on what will likely continue to be a very talented and dangerous Dodger squad. Even if his bat becomes colder than refrigerated macaroni, his name alone will still sell tickets for those interested. The Dodgers did a good thing for themselves here, even though the vast majority of baseball fans wish they hadn’t.

Either way you slice it, the Dodgers will benefit in some form from this signing, unless Andrew Friedman or Mark Walter are fired/leave their positions. If that happens, there is a clause in Ohtani’s contract that states he can opt out of his deal with the team if that were to happen. For the sake of comedy alone, I’d love to see that happen at some point. I personally don’t like the Dodgers at all, and I’d love nothing more than to see them continue to flop in the playoffs every year as is tradition. However, I wouldn’t mind seeing Shohei win a ring. It would be cool, I’ll admit.

LA just needs to learn to not blow it when the lights are brightest. Does signing Ohtani fix that? We’ll see. My guess, for now, is possibly.