After endless speculations, it has finally happened! Shohei Ohtani has joined the LA Dodgers for 10 years with a whopping $700 million contract. Until a few hours ago, the Toronto Blue Jays seemed to be leading the sweepstakes. But as it turns out, it may have just been a genius ploy. Even though the Blue Crew were always all in on Shotime, the rumors of the Blue Birds’ flight may have pushed them to act quickly.

Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo have likely just demonstrated a negotiation masterclass in their dealings with the Dodgers. Leaving the biggest of insiders at their wits end about how this deal came together.

Shohei Ohtani – The puppet master?

Shohei Ohtani’s free agency was not just the most followed free agency in MLB history but also a rollercoaster ride. Even though there were strict guidelines for “no leaks”, they happened nonetheless. First Ohtani’s interest in Blue Jays got leaked and then the rumors of his flight to Toronto exploded. But the information may have been a deliberate part on the Japanese phenom’s part, if reports are to be believed.

As baseball writer Tom Ruminski’s X post says, “It would be wild if Ohtani’s camp used Morosi and Hoornstra as pawns to create that Friday frenzy for the Blue Jays that made the nervous Dodgers cough up $700M.” It was a comment on another X post by BBWAA member Brandon Wile, which posits a possible timeline of events.

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The alleged story is simple – Ohtani preferred the Dodgers from the beginning but didn’t like their initial offer, so he waited for their final proposal. And to increase the level of urgency, his camp supposedly leaked that he was going to Toronto to meet the Blue Jays. Wile shared a screenshot of a Tom Verducci article that includes comments from a Dodgers executive. Rumors were running wild but no one was sure where Ohtani was going to land. The Blue Crew was admittedly worried.

Who is Shohei Ohtani’s Agent?

While Blue Jays fans were left heartbroken, if Twitter is to be believed, insider Jon Morosi played a role in helping inflate Ohtani’s price through the tweet that indicated his travel to Toronto. The Dodgers-Ohtani deal is the most unprecedented contract in American sports history.

The unique $700 million, 10-year contract 

The AAV of this contract is a massive $70 million. But Shohei Ohtani will reportedly not earn that much money every year. His contract has “unprecedented deferrals,” per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It was an idea he came up with to help the Dodgers keep a competitive payroll.

Additionally, the contract reportedly has no opt-out options, which means Ohtani has essentially given his entire remaining career to the Dodgers. Forbes has estimated that he already earns $35 million every year through endorsements, which means he may as well earn nearly $100 million per year.

What a fitting end to one of the most interesting baseball stories ever.

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