Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers make record contract official, aiming to ‘bring World Series parades’ to L.A.

The Athletic has live coverage of Shohei Ohtani’s first Dodgers press conference

The biggest deal in baseball history is now official, as the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Monday their 10-year, $700 million contract with two-time unanimous MVP Shohei Ohtani.

The contract itself (which was first announced by Ohtani’s representatives Saturday) is complicated, one that will allow the Dodgers to continue adding talent this offseason and beyond — something people briefed on the situation said motivated Ohtani himself to suggest such a structure.

“Dodger fans, thank you for welcoming me to your team,” Ohtani said in a statement, his first public comments since Aug. 9, before the elbow injury that ended his season and will keep him off the mound in 2024. “I can say 100 percent that you, the Dodger organization and I share the same goal — to bring World Series parades to the streets of Los Angeles.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed two-time American League Most Valuable Player Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year contract. pic.twitter.com/mggYwgp01i

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) December 12, 2023

The plurality of that statement underscores the intent of this endeavor. The Dodgers had chased Ohtani for a decade, before his prominence as a two-way player and the greatest talent in the sport. It is a game he has in many ways broken, from the convention of his ability to both hit and pitch at such a high level to the eye-popping figure and unorthodox structure of his now-record contract.

“On behalf of the L.A. Dodgers and our fans everywhere, we welcome Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers,” Dodgers chairman Mark Walter said in his statement. “The home of Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax and Hideo Nomo, three of the sport’s most legendary and pathbreaking players. We congratulate him on his historic contract with our storied franchise.

“Shohei is a once-in-a-generation talent and one of the most exciting professional athletes in the world. Our players, staff, management and ownership look forward to working together with Shohei to help the Dodgers continue to add, improve and strive for excellence on the field. Together with Shohei, we will work to help grow the number and breadth of people around the world who enjoy the excitement of Major League Baseball.”

Ohtani’s contract is unprecedented, as is his production. This is a man who just last year slugged 44 home runs with the highest OPS in the sport, and stole 20 bases – while still making 23 starts, throwing 132 innings (more than any Dodger last year) with a 3.14 ERA.

Now, his Dodgers tenure will officially begin. A move hypothesized and fantasized about for years is reality.

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(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)