Report of Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers Contract Being Deferred Led to Bobby Bonilla Jokes
Shohei Ohtani electrified the sports world on Saturday afternoon when he announced he intended to sign with the Dodgers, one day after reports—which turned out to be erroneous—hinted that he was headed to the Blue Jays.
Fans were even more amazed when the monstrous figures of Ohtani's contract emerged: 10 years and $700 million.
But one report from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal indicated there's a twist in Ohtani's contract, as the two-way star reportedly agreed to "unprecedented" deferrals, which the MLB insider indicates is the "majority of his salary." No other details have emerged on the deferrals, but MLB fans couldn't help but immediately think of former Mets player Bobby Bonilla.
The Bonilla jokes were bountiful!
Bonilla, who signed the richest contract in sports at the time—a five-year, $29 million deal with the Mets in 1991—had the remaining $5.9 million bought out by the club. But New York opted not to pay the full buyout at the time, instead handing out payments approaching $1.2 million every July 1, a process that began in 2011 and will continue until 2035.
July 1 is now known as Bobby Bonilla Day. While it's not yet clear what Ohtani's deferred payments will look like- they almost certainly won't look like Bonilla's, given his unique situation- it hasn't stopped fans from imagining.
Jokes aside, it will be interesting to hear more details about Ohtani's contract.
