Shohei Ohtani Has a Very Interesting Opt Out Clause in His New Dodgers Contract

Well, this is very interesting...

We are starting to learn more details about the intricacies of Shohei Ohtani's record-setting deal with the Dodgers. On Tuesday we learned that he agreed to defer all but $2 million each year of his annual salary until the conclusion of his contract.  

And now, we have learned that he has a clause in his deal that allows him to opt out of the contract with the Dodgers if the team changes specific personnel. MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the one to break the news of the clause.

Contract also states, “If specific change in Dodger personnel, player may opt out of contract at end of season the change occurs.” Not known at present who this refers to.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2023

As Rosenthal mentions, we don't know who in the Dodgers organization the clause is referring to. But if we had to guess, it would be president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. 

There isn't anyone else in the organization that would likely warrant something like this. Friedman has been at the helm for years, and Ohtani likely trusts him to make good on the team's promise to spend.

This could also be a result of how things went down during Ohtani's tenure with the Los Angeles Angels where former general manager Billy Eppler was fired a few seasons into his deal. Ohtani and Eppler shared a strong connection, which was one of the reasons he picked the Angels in the first place. 

Ohtani doesn't want to have a repeat of what happened with the Halos, so he made sure to add this into the fine print. It's a smart move by Ohtani, and it keeps the pressure on the Dodgers throughout the contract.

L.A. has given the two-way superstar the treatment that he deserves, and this partnership is off to a great start. Both sides are taking a big chance on each other, but they are hopeful that it will lead to multiple World Series titles along the way.

UPDATE:

The opt out clause has to do with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and team owner Mark Walter, according to AP News.

If either are not in their position during the next 10 years, Ohtani will have the ability to opt out of his Dodgers contract.

Andrew Friedman signed the greatest player in baseball history to the greatest contract in baseball history while also getting himself the greatest job security of any president of baseball operations in baseball.

Major respect. https://t.co/iwrpS4i6jU

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) December 14, 2023