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Shohei Ohtani signs a 10 year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Nah, salary cap is fucking commie bullshit. Othani is the one guy who deserves the $700 million contract because he hits like Aaron judge and pitches like Gerrit Cole. Both of whom made $300 million+. there has never been a player like him in the history of major league baseball. hes earned that contract.

Dodges and all the big market team will pay tens of millions of dollars in luxury tax for going over the soft salary cap. that luxury tax goes to the small market teams iirc.

Salary caps simply limit what these players are actually worth. Dodgers are worth over $6 billion and make around $500-600 million in revenue every year. they can afford to pay one guy $70 million a year and still make loads of profit.
 
Funny how the Saudi money in football has thrown off my sense of scale so much that my reaction was "$70 million a year? That's not too crazy."
star trek GIF

And what is crazy is that those contrats in football are often after taxes.
Nah, salary cap is fucking commie bullshit. Othani is the one guy who deserves the $700 million contract because he hits like Aaron judge and pitches like Gerrit Cole. Both of whom made $300 million+. there has never been a player like him in the history of major league baseball. hes earned that contract.

Dodges and all the big market team will pay tens of millions of dollars in luxury tax for going over the soft salary cap. that luxury tax goes to the small market teams iirc.

Salary caps simply limit what these players are actually worth. Dodgers are worth over $6 billion and make around $500-600 million in revenue every year. they can afford to pay one guy $70 million a year and still make loads of profit.
Not a sport I follow, but I saw that name and number in quite a few Reddit posts recently. Thanks for the explanation.
 
Funny how the Saudi money in football has thrown off my sense of scale so much that my reaction was "$70 million a year? That's not too crazy."
Yeah, considering how much Saudi money is being put into the golf now. Golfers are getting signed 10s of millions to play not counting what they win in tournaments. Anyways Othani absolutely deserves it. He is a true two way player in Baseball and should be paid as 2 players.
 
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StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
$70M is crazy, but it'll be worth it as Ohtani in Dodger town will be a giant revenue maker.

However, he's injury prone, wont even pitch in 2024, and he's currently a DH.
 

Tams

Member
wont even pitch in 2024

How can you put up with this shit.

Sure, players can't push themselves too hard or they risk permanent injury, and some footballers roll around on the pitch like right drama queens, but pretty no other sport has players not perform a key aspect for an entire year.
 

MastAndo

Member
A healthy Ohtani deserved to get an absurd contract - I figured around $500-$550M...but $700M fresh off of Tommy John surgery is insane to me. You're paying all that with the expectation of having a two-way player, and with half of that being a question mark for who knows how many of those ten years, you could very well be paying all that for a DH (albeit an amazing one).

Plus, even if he does return to pitching form after two TJS's, an injury to him would be losing two very important (and expensive) players in one shot. As an owner, I'd much rather hedge my bet and instead invest in two separate $35M/year players who excel at their own crafts.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
I personally don’t like his pitching mechanics and wish he would just stick to hitting. He will have major injuries every few years with his arm/shoulder now that the innings are adding up.
 

Durien

Member
700 million. Is f'ing insane. He doesn't do brain surgery or risk his life to save others. He plays baseball. I love hockey and the salary cap did away with this nonsense for the most part. There is no reason at all that this dude should get paid this amount of money to play a game. Unless the ball has a random bomb timer in it.then...MAYBE

$5 million tops.no matter what the sport with incentives for making playoffs, winning championship etc. Even 5 million to play baseball compared to football or hockey is absurd...
 

GymWolf

Member
Nah, salary cap is fucking commie bullshit. Othani is the one guy who deserves the $700 million contract because he hits like Aaron judge and pitches like Gerrit Cole. Both of whom made $300 million+. there has never been a player like him in the history of major league baseball. hes earned that contract.

Dodges and all the big market team will pay tens of millions of dollars in luxury tax for going over the soft salary cap. that luxury tax goes to the small market teams iirc.

Salary caps simply limit what these players are actually worth. Dodgers are worth over $6 billion and make around $500-600 million in revenue every year. they can afford to pay one guy $70 million a year and still make loads of profit.
Yeah throwing a ball deserve way more money than super doctors, scientist, astronauts, militaries etc.

I'm as much as a capitalist as you can get, but sportsmen have always been payed way too much since forever.

Ironically, most of the best sportsman on earth (fighters) get payed a fucking misery.
 

DKehoe

Member
Yeah throwing a ball deserve way more money than super doctors, scientist, astronauts, militaries etc.

I'm as much as a capitalist as you can get, but sportsmen have always been payed way too much since forever.

Ironically, most of the best sportsman on earth (fighters) get payed a fucking misery.
Is it kinda weird that people get paid so much for playing a game? Sure. Like you say it's not like they are necessarily providing a greater service to society than someone who cures a disease or something like that.

But sports generate ridiculous amounts of money. And that money has to go somewhere. I'd rather a big chunk of it goes to the actual athletes who provide enjoyment to people rather than just getting pocketed by the executives.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Yeah throwing a ball deserve way more money than super doctors, scientist, astronauts, militaries etc.

I'm as much as a capitalist as you can get, but sportsmen have always been payed way too much since forever.

Ironically, most of the best sportsman on earth (fighters) get payed a fucking misery.
It is what it is. In the context of hitters making $360 million for 10 years and pitchers making up to $330 million for 9 years, this guy who does both should earn what they earned. I am talking about the market and whats fair in the market. baseball actually has a way of calculating how many Wins a player is worth and hes regularly worth 9-10 wins over replacements or WAR a year. They also calculated that one WAR is worth $8 million so hes actually getting paid exactly whats hes worth.

Of course, should a sports player earn that much money? Thats a different question altogether. But the team hes playing for is the second biggest team in the U.S making over half a billion a year and hundreds of millions in profits. They can afford to pay him $70 million. just like how you can buy a 4080 while kids in africa go hungry everyday. Its all relative.
 
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Dural

Member
Yeah throwing a ball deserve way more money than super doctors, scientist, astronauts, militaries etc.

I'm as much as a capitalist as you can get, but sportsmen have always been payed way too much since forever.

Ironically, most of the best sportsman on earth (fighters) get payed a fucking misery.

What, fighters have always been in the top 10 for athletes salary. In 2021 Conner McGregor was number 1, in 2022 Canelo Alvarez was number 9. Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield were both some of the top paid athletes throughout the 90s. Floyd Mayweather is also one of the highest paid athletes ever.
 

SpiceRacz

Member
He's a once in a lifetime talent. The Dodgers picked up an ace pitcher and one of the top 3 hitters in the game in one guy. Worth every cent for that alone. If you take into account the amount of viewers, merchandise, ticket sales, etc., Ohtani will generate so much money for them, that salary will seem like a good deal. Easy decision for them.
 

dorkimoe

Member
How can you put up with this shit.

Sure, players can't push themselves too hard or they risk permanent injury, and some footballers roll around on the pitch like right drama queens, but pretty no other sport has players not perform a key aspect for an entire year.
uhh? Cuz hes having surgery...hes still going to bat..which is the entire other aspect of the year
 

RiccochetJ

Gold Member
How does MLB afford these types of contracts? Aren't they basically the 4th most popular sport in the US behind the NFL, CFB, and NBA? Is it just the sheer amount of games they play in a season and how many people can fit in a stadium?
 
Yeah throwing a ball deserve way more money than super doctors, scientist, astronauts, militaries etc.

I'm as much as a capitalist as you can get, but sportsmen have always been payed way too much since forever.

Ironically, most of the best sportsman on earth (fighters) get payed a fucking misery.
The lowest boxer gets paid more than the highest ufc fighter. But uncultured swine prefer the hoppy kicks and the tapouts.
 

Dthomp

Member
This is nuts, and while they'll make a ton on jersey sales and media, that contract is likely to be viewed in a much different light in half its time. I believe this is his 3rd? TJS so you are paying this insane amount of money for a DH for the next few years and who knows if his arm can ever be good enough to be back in the field again. Very injury prone, feel like you could have gotten 3-4 high quality players for this price to improve your team. If baseball was a sport where one dude could make the difference people are expecting he would have made the playoffs with the Angels at some point playing with one of the other best players in baseball. Hope the guy can heal, but I hope he never wins cause Fuck the Dodgers, MLB needs a salary cap of some kind cause the modern day spending is dumb
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
How does MLB afford these types of contracts? Aren't they basically the 4th most popular sport in the US behind the NFL, CFB, and NBA? Is it just the sheer amount of games they play in a season and how many people can fit in a stadium?
yes. their revenues are really high. most teams break 3 million ticket sales a year. thats literally hundreds of dollars in revenue on their own. plus there are tv deals. revenues really exploded in the 2010s and havent slowed down despite the pandemic. Yankees used to have $200 million budgets when making $250 million a year. Now they make almost $700 million a year and have a team budget of around $270 million. They were actually around $200 million for the last few years making half a billion in profits while passing on all the big name guys like bryce harper, manny machado, justin verlander and max scherzer. they paid up last year to retain judge and carlos rodon, but they couldve easily gone and gotten Othani for $70 million and still made $350 million in profits next year.

Also, if you add up the numbers for a 7 games world series, they typically total up to 100 million just like the superbowl. last year was different because it was two small market teams but the games typically pull in 20 million per game. So yes, the sheer number of games really helps. NFL is once a week for like 16 weeks. This is 6 times a week for 6 months. Then a month long postseason which is even longer now thanks to newer brackets.
 

HoodWinked

Member
On a per year basis there are others that make more on a per year basis. The financing for sports franchises is kind of goofy in that the money the teams earn isn't tied directly to how well a team does, its about managing excitement and interest. Shohei is kind of like the only thing in baseball that has broken into the mainstream lately maybe Trevor Bauer but for something that wasn't even baseball related.

VrGuhzql.png
 

Dural

Member
How does MLB afford these types of contracts? Aren't they basically the 4th most popular sport in the US behind the NFL, CFB, and NBA? Is it just the sheer amount of games they play in a season and how many people can fit in a stadium?

MLB sells more tickets than all the other major US sports combined.

 

DKehoe

Member
On a per year basis there are others that make more on a per year basis. The financing for sports franchises is kind of goofy in that the money the teams earn isn't tied directly to how well a team does, its about managing excitement and interest. Shohei is kind of like the only thing in baseball that has broken into the mainstream lately maybe Trevor Bauer but for something that wasn't even baseball related.

VrGuhzql.png
A Saudi Arabian club reportedly offered Kylian Mbappe $776 million for a one year contract.
 

thefool

Member
On a per year basis there are others that make more on a per year basis. The financing for sports franchises is kind of goofy in that the money the teams earn isn't tied directly to how well a team does, its about managing excitement and interest. Shohei is kind of like the only thing in baseball that has broken into the mainstream lately maybe Trevor Bauer but for something that wasn't even baseball related.

VrGuhzql.png

To put into perspective, that's 536M tax-free...
Its truly batshit insane money how much Cristiano and Benzema are making.
 
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The Gamer Triple H

Gold Member
Okay this contract is bullshit. So basically the dodgers pay him only 2mil for 9 years then defer the rest for the 10th year. So they avoid the luxury tax penalty to keep the current roster intact, and they got a shot at signing Yamamoto. Yankees gonna be pissed if LA snatches Yamamoto away.

Wonder how the other MLB teams feel about this contract
 

Represent.

Banned
Wow the new details on the contract are INSANE

he’s gonna get 2 million a year for 10 years. 2 million out of the 70 million

Then get a WHOPPING 680million payout at the end of it

Then he will retire and move back to Japan where he doesn’t have to pay California state tax

It’s the most baller move in sports history
 
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The Gamer Triple H

Gold Member
Wow the new details on the contract are INSANE

he’s gonna get 2 million a year for 10 years

Then get a WHOPPING 680million payout at the end of it

Then he will retire and move back to Japan where he doesn’t have to pay California state tax

It’s the most baller move in sports history
And considering all of the endorsements and deals he will make off the diamond, he can afford 2 mil a year for 9 years. He could clear a billion total when he retires.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Wow the new details on the contract are INSANE

he’s gonna get 2 million a year for 10 years. 2 million out of the 70 million

Then get a WHOPPING 680million payout at the end of it

Then he will retire and move back to Japan where he doesn’t have to pay California state tax

It’s the most baller move in sports history
That last $680M is paid out over 10 years after the contract ends. So assuming it's evenly spread out, $68M/yr will be payrolled from 2034-43.
Salaries are out of control in baseball.
Baseball has always had giant TV contracts. The TV ratings must be there. Its a passive kind of game, so you'll get a lot of people who enjoy watching it on TV over going to a game and sitting there for 9 innings. I;m the same. Assuming all ticket prices are the same and easy to get between the main sports, I'd go to a Jays game the least. I go since it's easy to get tix and cheap. At the game, most of us are barely even watching the game. I follow baseball more than NBA, but I'd rather watching in person a Raps game over a Jays game. So much more exciting.

And 81 home games per team too, so even if a team only gets 30,000 sales at low ticket prices, it adds up big time when it's multiplied across 81 games.
 
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NickFire

Member
Unlikely anyone can live up to that type of contract. But since the Dodgers were willing to pay then he earned it fair and square.
 

GymWolf

Member
The lowest boxer gets paid more than the highest ufc fighter. But uncultured swine prefer the hoppy kicks and the tapouts.
I guess the swines with culture prefer the pussy side of fighting with payed judges...

World is beatiful because it's varied as they say.
 
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Okay this contract is bullshit. So basically the dodgers pay him only 2mil for 9 years then defer the rest for the 10th year. So they avoid the luxury tax penalty to keep the current roster intact, and they got a shot at signing Yamamoto. Yankees gonna be pissed if LA snatches Yamamoto away.

Wonder how the other MLB teams feel about this contract
Supposedly the contract was at Shohei's suggestion. Dude wants to win and win now, he saw what Ichiro went through and doesn't want to waste his career and life on some dead-end team.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Supposedly the contract was at Shohei's suggestion. Dude wants to win and win now, he saw what Ichiro went through and doesn't want to waste his career and life on some dead-end team.
Makes sense for Ohtani. But the contract shouldnt be allowed IMO as it goes against the integrity of team salaries. But not the first time an MLB team has done this. Bobby Bonilla had a weird contract.

Kovalchuk had a big contract, but in the reverse where it was front loaded with almost no sales at the end. NHL rejected it.

 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Makes sense for Ohtani. But the contract shouldnt be allowed IMO as it goes against the integrity of team salaries. But not the first time an MLB team has done this. Bobby Bonilla had a weird contract.

Kovalchuk had a big contract, but in the reverse where it was front loaded with almost no sales at the end. NHL rejected it.

definitely shouldnt be allowed. Thanks to othani deferring $68 million of his salaray, the dodgers are set to get yamamoto who is arguably the best pitcher to come out of Japan, ever.

they will then have four superstars in mookie betts, freddie freeman, othani and yamamoto and othani is basically 2 in 1. they pretty much have five superstars. baseball isnt a one man show yes, but in those short playoff series, othani and yamamoto can easily shut down teams twice in one series, and hope betts, freeman and othani himself can put up a run or two on the board for them.

if they dont win multiple championships with these guys on the same team, they need to fire their manager.
 
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Ballthyrm

Member
700 million. Is f'ing insane. He doesn't do brain surgery or risk his life to save others. He plays baseball. I love hockey and the salary cap did away with this nonsense for the most part. There is no reason at all that this dude should get paid this amount of money to play a game.

Money is a shorthand for value but it is not the value someone add to society.
It represent the value he add to the Franchise, to the shareholders, etc, not the value of his work, or his value as a Human being.

You can pay people to dig a hole and fill it back up and you'll generate value just the same.
A doctor in an NGO that doesn't take a huge salary out of principle doesn't have less value because they don't get a 700M salary, that's nonsense.

Floyd Mayweather is also one of the highest paid athletes ever.

* In the modern era.
Highest paid athlete ever is famously Gaius Appuleius Diocles, just his winning would be around 15B$ today.
His fortune was enough to pay for his own army of legionnaire if he wanted.
 
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