Dodgers Making Over $200 Million Per Year From Shohei Ohtani: Report

When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed two-way star Shohei Ohtani to his historic 10-year, $700 million contract, the move was meant for more than just on-field benefits.

Los Angeles wanted to capture the Japanese market, while also understanding that his stardom would work wonders for marketing purposes.

Well, the Dodgers' calculations have paid off and then some through the first few years of having Ohtani on the roster. In fact, according to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, the Dodgers have reportedly made over $200 million per year from Ohtani alone.

"I was told that the Dodgers are making at least $200 million a year off Ohtani," Verducci said on The Baseball Insiders. "Off of one player. That’s just crazy. It allows them payroll room to sign players like [Blake] Snell, [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto and everybody else they’ve brought in."

Ohtani has been everything that the Dodgers have hoped for and more, helping the club win two straight World Series titles. But the money that he is helping the organization make has allowed them to continue spending heavily every offseason.

Just this past offseason, despite the team having won back-to-back titles, Los Angeles signed closer Edwin Díaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker to large contracts. Díaz received a three-year, $69 million deal, while Tucker got a four-year, $240 million contract in free agency.

Following the 2024 World Series title, the Dodgers brought in ace left-hander Blake Snell on a five-year, $182 million contract as well.

Without the money that Ohtani has helped the franchise generate, Los Angeles may not have been able to pay out these deals.

One reason why Los Angeles can do this is also because of how the large contract to Ohtani is structured. Los Angeles has become the face of "deferred" money around baseball, despite the fact that other teams have done it, as well.

But Ohtani is only earning $2 million annually from 2024–33, while the remaining $680 million will be paid out from 2034–43. This has allowed the Dodgers much more financial flexibility, especially with Ohtani's luxury tax hit being $46 million, rather than $70 million.

Ohtani is well worth all the money that Los Angeles is paying him, especially since he can both pitch and hit at an elite rate. The slugger has won two straight MVP awards with the Dodgers, and four total dating back to his time with the Los Angeles Angels.

Since Ohtani has joined the Dodgers, Los Angeles has become the "villain" of baseball, with other teams showing frustration in how the team operates. This has made the call for a salary cap to grow even louder, and the owners are expected to pursue this following the expiration of the current CBA after the 2026 season.

But for now, Los Angeles will enjoy the benefits of having Ohtani on the roster, and he will try to help them win a third straight World Series title. Overall, this was one of the biggest signings in sports history, and so far, it has worked out extremely well for the Dodgers, both on and off the field.

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