"He is gaming the system" - Fox analyst disbands Democrats' foul play outcry over Shohei Ohtani's $700,000,000 Dodgers contract

Shohei Ohtani's signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers made headlines globally and the magnitude and breakdown of his deal will be a talking point for years to come. Ohtani is set to earn $700 million on the deal but is only earning $2 million per annum for the next 10 years.

Recently, the contract came under fire from Democrats, due to the deferred $680 million. They allege that Ohtani is trying to avoid paying tax on the deferred money as if he were to move out of state before the payments begin, California would miss out on $98 million in tax.

Fox analyst Charlie Hurt had his say on the matter and didn't hold back:

"Of course, he's gonna move to Florida, of course, he's gonna move to Texas after this. And why shouldn't he? So you can say he is gaming the system but yeah, that's what happens when you have a 14-plus tax rate."

While Ohtani's deal is at the forefront of a political debate, it also gives the Dodgers room to maneuver for the next 10 years, which has already been seen this winter.

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers look to make a statement in 2024

With Spring Training almost upon us, the media spotlight is fixed on the LA Dodgers. Since Shohei Ohtani signed, the hype has steadily been building and this has only increased due to the team's ability to attract top talent.

Ohtani has helped the Dodgers land Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernandez in free agency, as well as trade for and extend Tyler Glasnow via the Tampa Bay Rays. This has made LA favorites for the World Series in 2024, which has only added to the media intensity.

As a result, tickets for spring training and opening day have soared and the importance of getting off to a good start cannot be understated. The expectation among the media is a World Series and anything short of making the big game will be seen as a disappointment.

Given the burden the favorites tag can represent, Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers will be taking Spring Training very seriously and you can expect this to be a fiery team in 2024. The Dodgers will look to hit the ground running immediately and aim to never let up on the road to glory. It will be interesting to see if they can do it.