Shohei Ohtani To Defer $680 Million USD in His Deal With the Los Angeles Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani recently signed a historic contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The details of his contract saw him sign a 10-year deal, marking it the largest in the Major League Baseball history as well as in North American professional sports history.

ESPN reported that Ohtani wants to defer $680 million USD of the money. This means that 97% of his earnings are set to be paid out to the baseball player between 2034 and 2043. The deferral was reportedly Ohtani's idea. Sources told ESPN that it was thought to help the Dodgers to sign other players. While he did defer most of his payments, Ohtani is also believed to make upwards of $45 million USD from annual endorsements.

Due to Ohtani's marketability, it was believed tha the Los Angeles Angels would make more than $20 million USD annually. In Ohtani's statement, he wrote, "Dodger fans, thank you for welcoming me to your team. "I can say 100 percent that you, the Dodger organization and I share the same goal -- to bring World Series parades to the streets of Los Angeles."