Los Angeles Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Makes Insane Amount In Endorsement Money

The Shohei Ohtani contract signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers is one of the most unique in pro sports. While the signing of the 10-year, $700 million contract made MLB news, Ohtani’s decision to take a $2 million salary during his playing career raised questions.

The majority of Ohtani’s contract with the Dodgers is deferred. While it has a total value of $70 million per year, the two-time AL MVP will make $20 million combined over the next 10 seasons. The rest of the money will all be paid out after the contract expires.

• Shohei Ohtani contract : $2 million salary annually from 2024-2033, $68 million annual salary from 2034-2043

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Ohtani is uniquely positioned to do this. While it helped the Dodgers add even more talent to the roster, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, it’s also a bit of a luxury for Ohtani. That’s because a majority of the money he is making as a player comes from endorsements.

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According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic , Ohtani makes almost $100 million from endorsements alone annually. There’s also the potential for him to earn even more through sponsorships now that he’s playing for the Dodgers and leading one of the best teams in MLB .

• Shohei Ohtani stats ( ESPN ) : .315/.401/.638, 1.039 OPS, 30 home runs, 70 RBI, 23 steals

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It easily explains why the 30-year-old made the decision to sign that specific contract with the Dodgers. Los Angeles can ay him a $2 million annual salary for the next decade, because his fame and international support will generate hundreds of millions of dollars for him within the next decade.

This also means that Ohtani will likely be a millionaire well before 2043 when the Dodgers pay him his final deferred salary of $68 million. Once that happens, Ohtani will become one of the rare international professional athletes to become a billionaire.

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