With the Los Angeles Dodgers officially announcing the signing of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani this week, ending weeks of speculation, we’ve started to see details of Ohtani’s record-breaking 10-year $700 million contract leak.
First was the report that an incredible $680 million will be deferred until 2033.
Another interesting detail came out Wednesday via The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
“Contract also states, ‘If specific change in Dodger personnel, player may opt out of contract at end of season the change occurs.’ Not known at present who this refers to,” Rosenthal posted on X.
Contract also states, “If specific change in Dodger personnel, player may opt out of contract at end of season the change occurs.” Not known at present who this refers to.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2023
Rosenthal also noted that Ohtani will donate to the club charity and has a suite for all games at Dodger Stadium, but those provisions are fairly standard for superstar players whereas the opt-out is not. Not naming the specific person is also interesting.
Interestingly, Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman has been directly responsible for another famous example of this contract provision. When the Dodgers hired Friedman from the Tampa Bay Rays after the 2014 season, then-Rays manager Joe Maddon activated an opt-out clause in his contract that was tied to Friedman working for the Rays. Maddon left Tampa for Chicago where he won 471 games in four seasons and, in 2016, led the Cubs to their first World Series victory since 1908, ending the longest championship drought in American professional sports.
While it’s unclear if Ohtani’s provision is also tied to Friedman, it’s certainly noteworthy.
