Shohei Ohtani was originally a super approximate agent who could have signed for 15 years, revealing the story behind signing with Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani shocked the sports world when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract in the 2023 offseason. Recently, his agent Nez Balelo revealed in an interview that Ohtani had the opportunity to sign a contract of up to 15 years.

Barreiro noted that Ohtani did not want to be questioned for his declining performance late in his career, so he voluntarily dropped the option to a longer contract. "We could have signed a 13-14 or even 15-year contract, but Ohtani thinks it's better to keep yourself competitive than to slip in form in 14 or 15 years," he said.

Ohtani signed a 10-year contract with Dodger for a total of $700 million, of which $680 million is deferred. The actual net present value is approximately US$461 million, which gives the team flexibility in the calculation of the luxury tax. Barreiro stressed that Ohtani chose this structure to give the team more space to maintain its strength and fight for the championship.

In response to the previous rumors that Ohtani might move to the Toronto Blue Jays, Barreiro denied the rumors, calling them reckless reports, stressing, "We were not on the plane at the time, and that was completely misinformation."

Otani's current contract will be extended until he is 38 years old, still at an age when he can maintain a high level of performance. He is also the highest-paid MLB endorsement star today, with an estimated endorsement income of $65 million in 2024 and is expected to exceed the $100 million mark this year.

Barreiro said that Ohtani has no regrets about joining Dodgers, and his goal is to continue to pursue victory and maintain second-class competitiveness. "He won the title, he chose the right team and we're not going to change anything," he said.