# MLB Hotstove, or the 2024 Ohtani sweepstakes **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [November 2, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492 "2023-11-02T17:48:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/121 "2023-12-09T20:24:22Z")
Looking at that contract and then remembering how the Angels played when they had Ohtani and Mike Trout on the same team…no thank you. Hopefully this will get people off the Rangers backs for having supposedly bought the WS last year. They paid $500 million for multiple guys. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/122 "2023-12-09T20:47:48Z")
70 million a year. 162 games in a season. That calculates to $432,098.76 per game. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/123 "2023-12-09T20:58:31Z")
$70m per year? WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/124 "2023-12-09T21:08:03Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > $70m per year? WTF ? Well, he probably has to pay his agent 10% or so. But I bet he could make up the difference doing endorsements and signing baseballs. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/125 "2023-12-09T21:13:38Z")
From ESPN > The deal does not include any opt-outs, a source told ESPN. Another source said “the majority” of Ohtani’s salary will be deferred in order to mitigate what the Dodgers are charged toward their competitive balance tax payroll on a yearly basis, giving them more freedom to add to their payroll over the life of Ohtani’s contract. The deferrals, according to the source, were Ohtani’s idea. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/126 "2023-12-09T21:14:18Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > > [@What\_Exit](#): > > > > $70m per year? WTF ? > > Well, he probably has to pay his agent 10% or so. But I bet he could make up the difference doing endorsements and signing baseballs. Probably closer to 30%. Agent, business manager, lawyers. It’s not a one man operation to handle that much money and it’s not smart to not have checks and balances so you don’t get Dane Cooked. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/127 "2023-12-09T21:16:44Z")
The conventional wisdom is he would stay on the west coast and that happened. $70 million for a DH next year and the hope he comes back and pitches effectively in a year. I’m not sure I would make that deal. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/128 "2023-12-09T21:18:29Z")
Wow, I’m shocked an agent gets that huge a cut. I had always been under the impression it was more like 1-3%. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/129 "2023-12-09T21:47:17Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I had always been under the impression it was more like 1-3%. I cannot vouch for the veracity of this website, but according to [sapling.com](https://www.sapling.com/8386882/average-sports-agents-commission), > In the National Football League, agents are paid 3 percent from player salaries. In the National Basketball Association, agents are capped at four percent. **Major League Baseball agents receive five percent.** National Hockey League agents can make up to four percent. Bolding mine. That percentage is just on the contract, however. If the agent negotiates a deal with State Farm or another endorsement, the percentage will undoubtedly be a lot higher. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/130 "2023-12-09T22:16:58Z")
Glad we got him, but I guess that puts paid to any idea about fixing our rotation next year. Or actually having one. It’s going to take gutting the farm system of prospects to get anybody halfway decent as a starter. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/131 "2023-12-09T22:56:38Z")
Apparently a lot of the money will be deferred. So instead of $70 million per year, maybe they’ll be paying $35 million per for 20 years. Completely bonkers signing. After two Tommy John surgeries. Yikes. Reportedly there are no opt outs, but why would Ohtani need one? Who could up the ante? It doesn’t sound like there are any incentives or thresholds on the pitching aspect, either. But on the bright side, Shohei, Betts and Freeman make a dangerous trio. If LA gets two or more titles, it will be worth the pain of the back end. The endless back end. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/132 "2023-12-09T23:00:50Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > > [@Velocity](#): > > > > I had always been under the impression it was more like 1-3%. > > I cannot vouch for the veracity of this website, but according to [sapling.com](https://www.sapling.com/8386882/average-sports-agents-commission), > > > In the National Football League, agents are paid 3 percent from player salaries. In the National Basketball Association, agents are capped at four percent. **Major League Baseball agents receive five percent.** National Hockey League agents can make up to four percent. > > Bolding mine. > > That percentage is just on the contract, however. If the agent negotiates a deal with State Farm or another endorsement, the percentage will undoubtedly be a lot higher. Whenever I’ve seen pros talk about what they get to keep they usually say the management team gets at least 20%. Unless they are a low level player they have more than just an agent they have a team handling all aspects of the money. Those percentages are from the pre-tax number. Although not covered by a CBA I listen to comics talk about their business. A mid-level comic Big Jay Oakerson has a booking agent, an acting agent, a business manager and an entertainment lawyer (who happens to be Chunk from the Goonies). Everyone gets a cut. It’s good that the CBA addresses the agent issue. Probably harder now but it could be possible for an unscrupulous agent to get his hooks in a young player and take advantage. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/133 "2023-12-09T23:40:14Z")
Ohtani to Dodgers?? Thought he wanted to go to a World Series. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/134 "2023-12-09T23:48:41Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Completely bonkers signing. From the owners’ point of view, whether they get their money’s worth is not just a matter of how much Ohtani helps the team win. It’s also a matter of how much he gets people to come to the ball park, how much he gets people to watch the games on TV, how much he gets people talking about the team, how many Ohtani jerseys they sell to the fans. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/135 "2023-12-09T23:49:28Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Ohtani to Dodgers?? Thought he wanted to go to a World Series. 🤣 What do you mean? They win the World Series every year that they only play 60 games. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/136 "2023-12-10T00:00:49Z")
It also makes a lot of sense for a player to hop teams to maximize revenue from his jersey, memorabilia, etc. If Ohtani stuck with the Angels for his whole career, everyone by now who wants an Ohtani Angels jersey already has one. But by hopping over, now he can sell lots of fresh new Dodgers apparel, especially if he also changes his number or something. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/137 "2023-12-10T00:04:54Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > It also makes a lot of sense for a player to hop teams to maximize revenue from his jersey, memorabilia, etc. My understanding is that players get a cut of sales of official sales of their jerseys, baseball cards, etc., but that that cut gets split equally among all players, as per the CBA. So, even if a guy like Ohtani accounts for an outsized proportion of total merchandise sales, he only gets the same share of the players’ profits from those as every other player. Also, in the absolute, it sounds like each player doesn’t make a huge amount of money from licensed merchandise – the article below makes an educated guess at between $33,000 and $66,000 per year. Ohtani doesn’t have to share that cut on any **personal** endorsement deals he has (e.g., appearing in commercials, selling merchandise that has his name or likeness, but doesn’t contain a Dodgers or any other MLB name or logo), but that’s a different thing altogether. > **[Do MLB Players Get Paid For Jersey Sales? - Ball Are Life](https://ballarelife.com/do-mlb-players-get-paid-for-jersey-sales/)** > > Do MLB Players Get Paid For Jersey Sales?; MLB merchandise sales are difficult to quantify; However, yes MLB players do receive a small pay ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/138 "2023-12-10T00:54:18Z")
I don’t wish him ill but I’m betting he’ll never be the player he was the last few seasons again. Coming off an injury can be tough and so many are never what they once were. Plus signing big contracts seems to have an effect on some players. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/139 "2023-12-10T00:59:11Z")
I wonder if we’ll be laughing at the Dodgers about his payouts long after his career is over like we laugh at the Mets on Bobby Bonilla Day. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492/140 "2023-12-10T01:16:15Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I wonder if we’ll be laughing at the Dodgers about his payouts long after his career is over like we laugh at the Mets on Bobby Bonilla Day I like Ohtani, but I hate the Dodgers much more. So I hope that this indeed comes to pass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hotstove-or-the-2024-ohtani-sweepstakes/992492.md?page=8)