The Los Angeles Dodgers shocked the baseball world when the organization signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal last December. Arguably the most surprising detail of the blockbuster deal was Ohtani deferring 97 percent of his contract.
Ohtani’s deferred payments gave the Dodgers financial flexibility to continue bringing talent to Los Angeles, hence the recent signing of free agent pitcher Blake Snell and the contract extension to keep utility man Tommy Edman.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today broke down how Ohtani’s deferred salary was only possible because of his stardom in an exclusive conversation with Dodgers Nation.