Shohei Ohtani’s contract that he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in Dec. 2023 could have been even longer than the 10-year pact that he agreed to.
According to Nez Balelo, Ohtani’s agent, the deal might have reached 15 years.
“We could have went to 13, 14, 15 years,” Balelo said, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). “But Shohei wanted to always kind of keep the integrity of where he’s at as a player. He just didn’t want to have the end of his storybook career tail off and then on year 13, 14 and 15, it’s just like who is this guy? You can’t even run down first and he’s not a guy anymore.”
Ohtani joined the Dodgers on a 10-year deal worth $700 million instead, which represented the largest contract in baseball history at the time.
The contract also included an unprecedented amount of deferred money, containing $680 million in deferrals that will pay the superstar $68 million annually from 2034 through 2043.
Ohtani’s contract structure has given Los Angeles more financial flexibility to remain a threat in free agency, agreeing to hefty contracts with starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2023 and Blake Snell in 2024.
While Balelo mentioned that his client didn’t want 15 years on his contract and still be playing past his prime, Ohtani hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down as he prepares to turn 31 years old on July 5.
He was stellar at the plate throughout his inaugural season with the Dodgers, becoming the first player in MLB history to record at least 50 home runs and 50 steals in the same year.
Ohtani finished with 54 homers, 130 RBIs, 59 stolen bases and 38 doubles while posting a .310/.390/.646 slash line and helping Los Angeles clinch a World Series victory.
“We wouldn’t do anything different,” Balelo said, via ESPN. “He won a championship. He went to the right team. No regrets.”
The three-time MVP has remained sharp to open his 2025 campaign, racking up 41 hits and 10 home runs while posting a 1.031 OPS in 35 appearances.
