LOS ANGELES – Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani made headlines when he signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the largest in sporting history. But if you thought the “Shotime” frenzy was over, think again. Earlier this week, Ohtani announced he’ll be using his newfound fortune to become a majority stakeholder in the Miami Marlins organization.

“The money from his Dodgers deal is great but what he really wants to do is create generational wealth to benefit his family for years to come,” said Ohtani’s manager. “Right now, the Marlins have the lowest value among all MLB teams, making them a great opportunity for someone like my client to begin their investment portfolio. I suspect that, over time, this investment will pay for itself, and Ohtani will, eventually, be able to buy the team outright.”

Paying professional athletes an absurd amount of money is not uncommon. However, to put Ohtani’s new deal into perspective, here are a few statistics that will make you rethink your decision to quit Little League when you were eight years old: with $700 million, Shohei Ohtani could pay the salaries of all 17 clubs in the National Rugby League for the next five years, in just 2024, he will make more than eight different MLB franchises entire rosters, and will make more than the largest contracts in the NFL, NBA, and NHL, combined.

While these numbers are staggering, Ohtani’s most diehard fans will argue he is worth every penny of this deal. His 2021 season alone is probably enough to land him in the hall of fame some day after becoming the only player in MLB history to hit 10+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases as a hitter and 100+ strikeouts and 10+ pitching appearances in the same season. He also earned the American League Most Valuable Player award that year.

In 2023, he made another historic run as he became the only player in MLB history with 10 wins and 40 home runs in a single season. That year he also became the first Japanese-born player to win the MLB’s home run title, the first player in MLB history to earn the MVP award unanimously twice, and the first Japanese-born player to have the most jersey sales.

The impact Ohtani has had on the professional baseball is undeniable, but critics of the deal say it won’t have a positive impact on the future of the sport.

“Look, I’m happy for the guy, he’s a good player,” said Twitter user @BaseballGuru69. “But the Dodgers paid the guy almost a billion dollars and with that money he basically bought a rival team. Does no one else see a conflict of interest, here? I mean, if I was a Dodgers fan I’d be pissed because he’s basically giving Dodger money to Miami. On the other hand, if I’m a Marlins fan, I’m pissed because the owner of my team plays for someone else. Who wins here, other than Ohtani?”

“Does anyone else just feel disgusting that a single human being is earning $700 million to throw and hit a ball?” said Deborah Vorhees, a concerned citizen. “There are literally people struggling to put food on the table who are doing jobs essential to keeping our society afloat. Teachers, nurses, and so many others spend decades being underpaid while sportsball players are living in mansions for a few years of ‘work’. Help me make it make sense.”

“I’ll admit we’ve never run into situation like this,” said Cara Young, an MLB executive. “We see the potential for a conflict of interest should the Dodgers and the Marlins meet in the post season, but let’s be honest, we’re talking about the Marlins, here. What I will say, however, is Ohtani’s record deal and his investment in the MLB is creating a much-needed buzz in the sport.”

At this time, Major League Baseball and the player’s union are investigating the situation and will come to a conclusion on whether or not Ohtani’s purchase of the Marlins is acceptable within the confines of their collective bargaining agreement.

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