VOA文化艺术2023--Japan’s Ohtani Gets $700 Million, Biggest Team Sports Deal

Japan’s Ohtani Gets $700 Million, Biggest Team Sports Deal

Everyone expected Japan's Shohei Ohtani to receive the biggest deal in baseball history. Over the weekend, the two-time Most Valuable Player award-winner received the biggest deal in team sports history.

On Saturday, the Japanese star announced that he had agreed to a 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers¹ valued at $700 million.

Olympics.com says the amount is higher than the $679 million for France's Kylian Mbappe with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022, $674 million for Lionel Messi with Barcelona in 2017, and Cristiano Ronaldo's $500 million agreement with Al Nassr.

The total is also higher than the largest American football contract of $450 million given to Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. It far exceeds the baseball deals of $426.5 million given to Mike Trout² of the Los Angeles Angels and the $360 million given to Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees.

Under the contract, Ohtani's average yearly salary of $70 million is well above the previous high of about $43 million that pitchers⁴ Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander struck with the New York Mets. His average yearly salary is also higher than the combined salary of all players with the Baltimore Orioles or the Oakland A's this year.

Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, called it "a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player." Another sports agent, Leigh Steinberg said, "He's rocketed into a stratosphere all his own."

Is he worth it?

Ohtani started in Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. He is the sport's best two-way player. He is one of the best hitters and also one of the best pitchers in baseball. He is the only player in baseball history to appear as both a pitcher³ and a hitter in the All-Star games in 2021 and 2023. He was unanimously named the Most Valuable Player twice in 2021 and 2023.

But the $700 million deal was more than most baseball fans imagined. And many wonder why the Dodgers made that kind of investment in one player.

Mike Lewis teaches marketing⁵ and sports business at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He said, "Baseball has sometimes struggled to gain national attention, but he's the kind of guy who attracts millions...and not just from the U.S."

Lewis compared the Dodgers' signing of Ohtani to Inter⁶ Miami's signing of Lionel Messi in Major League Soccer. Interest in American soccer, especially on social media, greatly increased around the U.S. and the world. As of Sunday morning, the Dodgers' Instagram account had 3.2 million followers⁷. Ohtani on his own has 6.3 million.

No baseball player has received more interest internationally than Ohtani, especially in his native Japan. Japanese companies paid for top advertising⁸ spaces in Anaheim when Ohtani was playing with the Angels. His Angels uniform is the best-selling one among baseball players in 2023. Ohtani's uniform is expected to sell well, and many more Dodgers' tickets are expected to be sold, too.

When Ohtani was negotiating with different baseball teams for a new contract, fans were following his movements and posting information online. The interest was similar to the level around popular singer Taylor Swift.

Steinberg, the sports agent, believes every baseball team interested in Ohtani has already estimated how much money he would bring to the team. If the Dodgers were willing to pay $700 million to sign him, then Steinberg believes they made a good decision.

"He's handsome and he's a huge box office draw," Steinberg told the Associated Press. "There are very few players who can match that. He has appeal to all."

Words in This Story

previous –adj. taking place earlier; before the present

salary –n. pay or wages in money

unique –adj. unlike anything else

stratosphere –n. a high level of the atmosphere

pitcher –n. (baseball) the player who throws the ball to the batter⁹: the pitcher's action starts every play in baseball

uniform –n. the clothing worn by a team which is also sold to fans and the public

box office draw –expression (entertainment) a popular perform who many people are willing to pay money to see

1 dodgers   

n.躲闪者，欺瞒者( dodger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a crackdown on fare dodgers on trains 对火车逃票者的严厉打击
• But Twain, Howells, and James were jeeringly described by Mencken as "draft-dodgers". 不过吐温、豪威尔斯和詹姆斯都是被门肯讥诮地叫做“逃避兵役的人。” 来自辞典例句

2 trout   

n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属)

参考例句：

• Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by the pollution.成千上万的鲑鱼和鳟鱼的鱼苗因污染而死亡。
• We hooked a trout and had it for breakfast.我们钓了一条鳟鱼，早饭时吃了。

3 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

4 pitchers   

大水罐( pitcher的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Over the next five years, he became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball. 在接下来的5年时间里，他成为了最了不起的棒球投手之一。
• Why he probably won't: Pitchers on also-rans can win the award. 为什麽不是他得奖：投手在失败的球队可以赢得赛扬奖。

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 inter   

v.埋葬

参考例句：

• They interred their dear comrade in the arms.他们埋葬了他们亲爱的战友。
• The man who died in that accident has been interred.在那次事故中死的那个人已经被埋葬了。

7 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

8 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

9 batter   

v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员

参考例句：

• The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
• Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。