The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a historic deal before the 2024 season. However, his contract is not currently paying him as much as his endorsement earnings.
$680 million of Ohtani's $700 million deal is deferred until after the 10-year term of the deal ends. In 2034, the Dodgers will be on the hook for $68 million in yearly payments for 10 years. Right now, Ohtani's contract pays him just $2 million annually. However, his agent, Nez Balelo, has confirmed how much he is making in endorsements.
The Associated Press reported that Ohtani is the league's top endorser. They revealed that his endorsement earnings rose from $65 million to $100 million in 2025.
"Yeah, absolutely, those are real numbers," Balelo told the Associated Press. "It continues to take on a life of its own."
Ohtani's deferred money is allowing the Dodgers to continue signing players around him. The team has recently signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott and Teoscar Hernández. Ohtani seems to be doing great financially, considering how seriously he takes his endorsements.
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"According to Balelo, Ohtani endorses just over 20 brands that are carefully vetted and chosen based on his use or belief in the product and the people behind it," wrote the Associated Press. "His priority is his on-the-field performance and the training that goes into it."
"He takes that very, very serious, and everything really becomes secondary other than his family," Balelo said. "We just have to make sure that we don't overexpose him or put him in a situation where it's too heavy of a lift."
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