Shohei Ohtani’s contract with the Dodgers is the largest in MLB history, with Los Angeles shelling out $700 million over 10 years to the Japanese megastar.

However, the construction of Ohtani’s contract has allowed the Dodgers to land pitching ace Blake Snell to further bolster their rotation ahead of their World Series defense. Late Tuesday, Snell announced on his personal Instagram account that he was signing with the Dodgers, posting a photo of him wearing Los Angeles’ jersey and changing his profile picture to match.

Soon after Snell broke the news, more details of the lefty’s deal was made public. The 31-year-old former San Francisco Giants star signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers – pending a physical – which included a $52 million signing bonus, joining a rotation that features Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Ohtani, once he returns to the mound following injury.

Snell’s contract is the third largest for a lefty in league history, with Clayton Kershaw ($215M) and David Price’s ($217M) contracts eclipsing the 31-year-old. And while the exact details of his contract are yet to be revealed, it has been reported by ESPN that Snell’s contract includes no opt-outs and some deferred money.

While it is unclear how much money Snell will be deferring in his newest contract with the Dodgers, what is clear is Ohtani’s impact on any stars willing to come to Los Angeles. Although Ohtani signed the richest contract in MLB history, the two-way star agreed to defer $68 million of his annual salary, effectively paying him only $2 million a season.

The rest of the deferred money will be paid from 2034 to 2043, without interest. In doing so, that allows the Dodgers to sign players, thanks to the extra funds afforded to the team by Ohtani’s decision to defer most of his contract until he effectively steps away from the game.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell (7) looks on during the MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 22, 2024 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA

Blake Snell was the first splash of the offseason, signing a massive contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers ( 

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Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

That said, Ohtani is in a unique position to defer most of his contract because of just how much more money makes on his endorsement deals alone. It has been reported that the 30-year-old made almost $100 million in endorsements, up from the $40 million he was estimated to have made in 2023.

Ohtani’s decision to defer most of his contract ultimately led to the Dodgers’ acquisition of Snell and the lefty’s decision to also defer some some his contract, allowing Los Angeles to continue spending for the upcoming season.

It would not be outside the realm of possibility to see more stars defer money to allow the Dodgers, or other teams, to sign other complementary pieces moving forward. In that same vein, Snell also inherits another perk by signing with the Dodgers and joining Ohtani: Global exposure.

Ohtani is a global icon, with his impact in Japan palpable. After the Dodgers vanquished the New York Yankees in five games, viewing numbers of the World Series were released and those five games painted a picture of just how impactful Ohtani, and Yamamoto’s, presence at the biggest stage was.

MLB reported that an average of 12.1 million people in Japan watched the 2024 World Series, making it the most-watched Fall Classic in the country’s history. Additionally, Game 1 (14.4 million) and Game 2 (15.9 million) were the two most-watched postseason games in Japan in league history.

With Ohtani’s considerable pull in Japan, it stands to reason that Snell and other players who decide to join the World Series champions could experience a similar growth worldwide. And if the Dodgers were to repeat, Los Angeles can look back on its deal with the Japanese superstar as the precursor to its success.