Although he opted to keep things private, Shohei Ohtani elevated MLB free agency to heights that have arguably never been seen before. In fact, he transcends baseball and extends across all sports. Many athletes are in complete shock over the 10-year, $700 million contract the 29-year-old has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, including Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell.
“700M’s is crazy!! And he deserves every Penny of that too! Sheesh,” the four-time NBA All-Star posted shortly after Ohtani dropped the bombshell on Instagram. A big portion of the deal will reportedly be deferred in order to give LA some financial flexibility, but such an amount of money is still difficult to fathom.
Like Mitchell, though, there are many people in overwhelming support of Ohtani’s unprecedented contract. He batted .304 with 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, a .654 slugging percentage and 1.066 OPS as a hitter in 2023, while recording a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts in 22 starts as a pitcher. In addition to the robust numbers, this dual threat is a global juggernaut sure to bring in substantial revenue.
Donovan Mitchell is doing well in his own right, with two years remaining on a five-year, $163 million contract (player option for 2025-26 season). He will obviously not net a $700 million deal if he decides to test the free agent market, but demand for the 27-year-old guard will be high.
Just in case, though, it is probably wise for Mitchell and other stars to solicit negotiation advice from Shohei Ohtani before putting pen to paper. The seismic waves being emitted from this move will thereby get even more massive.