'Ohtani Nears 1 Trillion Won Valuation... 10-Year, 920 Billion Won Mega Contract with LA Dodgers'

Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani set a record by signing a 10-year, $700 million (approximately 920 billion KRW) contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 9th (local time), Ohtani posted on his Instagram account, "I have chosen the Dodgers as my next team," and pledged, "I will do my best to show my best performance with the Dodgers."

Ohtani's agent, Nez Valero, announced that the contract terms are 10 years and $700 million. This far surpasses the largest MLB contract ever signed by Angels outfielder Mike Trout in 2019. Trout signed a 12-year, $426.5 million contract with the Angels at that time.

Ohtani will receive an average of $70 million (92.4 billion KRW) per year, which is also the highest annual salary in MLB history. Previously, the highest annual salary record was $43.33 million, earned by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with the New York Mets.

Ohtani joined the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2013 and caused a sensation in Japanese professional baseball as a two-way player before joining the Angels in 2018. He attracted significant attention during this winter's free agency period. It is known that multiple teams, including the Dodgers and Toronto, made offers.