Dodgers Payroll 2024: How Shohei Ohtani's historic deal impacts team's finances?

There was no doubt that Shohei Ohtani would have become the highest paid player on any team he would sign with. The size of the contract offered by the Los Angeles Dodgers, though, seems to have huge impact on not just on their payroll but the entire MLB landscape in general.

As reported by various media outlets, Shohei Ohtani was offered a 10-year $700 million contract by the Dodgers. However, a large sum of that contract is expected to be in deferrals towards the later years. That was apparently suggested by the two-way phenom himself to balance out the team's finances.

Because of the deferred contract value, there's no clarity in the final sum of money the Dodgers will have to dish out. The franchise is the 15th most spending team in the league, with $130 million on their payroll, considering the number of players left on their contract after free agency.

Despite whatever sum they will have to pay the Japanese sensation next season, it should take their overall payroll above the $237 million luxury tax threshold mark, as they have a few more roles to fill.

That shouldn't be a surprise, as the Dodgers had a payroll of $240 million, which was the sixth highest last year.

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How does Shohei Ohtani's contract compare with the other Dodgers stars?

Such is the size of Shohei Ohtani's contract that it dwarfs any other deal in the MLB.

For reference, the two biggest stars in the Dodgers lineup, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, finalists for the 2023 NL MVP award and future HOFers, earn $30 million and $27 million respectively per year.

Together, their contract values are still not as high as what Ohtani is expected to earn without any deferred payments. His $70 million per year contract value is way above other Norther American sports players like Patrick Mahomes who earns $45 million a year from the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL.