December 10th, 2023, marks a historic day for the Los Angeles sports world. As professional sports analyst Skip Bayless puts it, (Move over, Lebron. You’re now Hollywood’s second biggest sports star.) With a move that will have one of the most significant impacts on MLB salary structures that we have ever seen, Shoehai Otahni signed a 10-year 700 million dollar contract with the Dodgers. You heard that right, 700 million dollars. Otahni will make $2.22 every second for ten years without considering sponsorships. So, how pivotal is this move, and what effect might it have on the MLB or American sports?
We can expect a pay raise across the MLB landscape, which is common when a groundbreaking signing like this happens in sports. It is not common for someone to hold the title of the highest-paid athlete in a position for very long. Often, a deal like this will spark a chain reaction across the sport as players believe they are entitled to similar pay. This applies pressure on team or franchise owners to raise their spending on high-caliber players such as Otani. So, baseball players around the nation have reason to celebrate and believe they may be getting a raise very soon.
Moreover, the impact of This contract will surely expand beyond just the scope of the MLB. Another professional sports commentator, Shannon Sharpe, said this about the news: (… played the wrong sport. 10 yrs 700 mil!!! Congrats Otahni.) Of course, this was remarked more as a joke than a serious comment. However, it highlights a possible reality to come. America’s time seems to be the prime investment in professional sports. Ohtanis deal is shattering compared to any other American sport. Some close exceptions exist in Soccer, such as Christiano Ronaldo’s 536 million dollar contract; however, not even that overtakes Ohtani. The most intimate contact in American sports is Patrick Mahome’s 450 million dollar contract in the NFL. After that, the following five most significant contracts also come from the MLB. In truth, if you are an American athlete, you want to be in baseball. And this may act as inspiration for the next generation of athletes. If this trend continues, the entire MLB will likely grow and become much larger than the rest of the American professional sports.
This news has a much more significant impact than just on Otahni’s life. This may be the most important contract in the history of professional sports in terms of influence and effect. The world will have to wait to see exactly what this will do to professional sports in America. However, one can assume the result will be far from invisible. But for now, the world will celebrate and congratulate the benefactor of the new highest-paid contract in sports history. So, congratulations to Shoehai Otahni.
