Shohei Ohtani’s Contract Includes Opt-Out Clause If Certain Dodgers’ Executives Depart, per Report

The 10-year, $700 million contract features an obscure opt-out clause.

Shohei Ohtani’s contract with the Dodgers reportedly includes an opt-out clause that could be activated if either of two executives were to leave the organization before his 10-year, $700 million deal expires.

The personnel involved in the clause reportedly include Los Angeles’s controlling owner Mark Walter and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, according to Beth Harris and Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. 

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported earlier on Wednesday that Ohtani’s deal with the Dodgers included an opt-out clause should specific personnel no longer be in place, but did not identify which members of the organization were tied to the clause.

Walter has been an owner of the franchise since 2012. He led an investment group that purchased the team for $2.2 billion. 

Friedman was hired as president of baseball operations for Los Angeles in 2014, having previously worked as the general manager of the Rays.

If either executive leaves the franchise at some point during Ohtani’s deal, he’d have the ability to opt out after that season, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. 

Ohtani is set to be introduced by the organization in a press conference on Thursday. The team announced his signing on Tuesday. 

His contract includes unprecedented deferrals, with $680 million of the $700 million deal due to be paid out between 2034-2043. He’ll earn $2 million annually for the duration of his 10-year contract. It’s the largest contract in sports history, surpassing that of Lionel Messi’s former deal with FC Barcelona.