Shohei Ohtani signed the largest contract in sports history, which will pay him $700 million over the next ten years. The Japanese announced on Saturday that he will play for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, AFP reports.

Shohei OhtaniPhoto: Shuhei Yokoyama/AP/Profimedia

Shohei Ohtani, $700 million in salary over the next 10 years

In addition to the Dodgers, which is also co-owned by Magic Johnson (former Lakers star), several other Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs, including the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs, tried to lure the Japanese player who played last year for another Los Angeles club, the Angels.

“I always do what’s best for the team and give it my all,” Shohei Ohtani said on Instagram, where he announced his decision to join the Dodgers on Saturday.

His agent Nez Balelo said in a statement that his contract is worth $700 million over 10 years: “This is a unique and historic contract for a unique and historic player.”

Ohtani arrived in MLB in 2018 and has since been named the American League MVP (one of the two leagues that make up MLB) in 2021 and 2023, each time unanimously, something that had never happened to players before him, the News wrote. ro.

According to Yahoo Sports, the largest known contract in the world of sports was Lionel Messi’s contract with FC Barcelona ($674 million).