Shohei Ohtani has agreed to a record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, making him the highest-paid athlete in history. Is any sports star worth that much money?

Yes the market decides, whether such an investment is valid.

Also the structure of European football contractual renumeration is structured, the bonusing schedules, over a ten year cycle period, image rights, the Bosman ruling, gives a number of players accumulated earnings a trillion euros plus.

That's before the Saudi petrol cash get their teeth into Footballs European clubs.

In this case, oh definitely. Just the money on jersey's and other Ohtani related items will go through the roof. He's the best thing that's happened in baseball since Jackie Robinson. He's a very charismatic guy to watch, too.

If he is bringing in at least 700 million to the team, sure. You don't want to be in a situation like the NCAA where the athletes are paid in mysterious barter transactions while the owners rake in billions.

Of course not. It is perverse that a system exists that rewards somebody lucratively for throwing a ball and hitting one with a stick while essential jobs go undone and people live in abject poverty.

I was chatting with Doara after a Dragons game a few years ago and the subject of showboy came up. Doara reckons that Showboy will be the first MBL player to be sign for billion. So Doara was correct.

What Moonraker said.

Projected profits will far surpass the cost of the contract. Money rules in the world of professional sports.

S

The concomitant consequence to those who believe that his worth is rightly determined by a system they have no control over is that you, yourself, are only worth a tiny fraction of him as a unit of that system, based on your measly salary. And the same goes for everyone, from nurse to other "essential workers" so lauded during the pandemic. It's insane to be an unconscious slave to such perversity and will be the death of civilisation.

His arm won't last ten years.

All this money for playing a kid's game.

World needs a reset in what is important and what should be prioritized.

Of course not. It is perverse that a system exists that rewards somebody lucratively for throwing a ball and hitting one with a stick while essential jobs go undone and people live in abject poverty.

I agree!

What Moonraker said second time around.

And how is he the highest paid athlete in history when Neymar is “earning £129.2million a year($162m), £2.7m a week, 52 weeks of the year. £380,000 per day, in Saudi Arabia?

Of course not. It is perverse that a system exists that rewards somebody lucratively for throwing a ball and hitting one with a stick while essential jobs go undone and people live in abject poverty.

The question was not “should” be paid that much. It’s a matter of Otani value to the Dodgers.

No. Ohtani is a very nice man but these prices paid for superstar athletes have become rather obscene, haven't they? Next, the ticket prices will go way up for fans and pay per view TV more common to be able to pay these athletes' outrageous salaries. Baseball used to be a game where you could pay a dollar or less to get a seat in the bleachers and for a few bucks behind the dugout, but not anymore.

Yes. Big picture for the Dodgers. Merchandise/TV rights. Only the socialists on this website could possibly think anything else in their little world of wishful equality.

You're worth what someone is willing to pay.

As others have said, he throws a ball, hits a ball wth a stick and runs round a field.

I suppose some people find that as entertaining as watching folk sing and dance on stage, or watching blockbuster films.

Personally I don't see it, but obviously there are those who do, plenty of them.

Good luck to him I suppose.

Wouldn't it be nice if he donated some of it, say half, to good causes? He wouldn't even notice.

Wouldn't it be nice if he donated some of it, say half, to good causes?

Ummmm…

Well, if you aren’t a fan, I can’t expect you to be keeping up.

Only the socialists on this website could possibly think anything else in their little world of wishful equality.

Amen.

Thank god we don’t have equality. If we did, there would be no point to sports, or many things.

No, of course not....

He's the best in the world if not the best ever

If anyone's worth it it's him

Ok, he’s handsome, a gentleman, a great athlete… but I’m sick to bloody death of hearing about him. The tv (even as I type this) incessantly bleating about him. Make it stop!!

2 things: The Dodgers instantly gained basically 120 million new fans with the 3rd largest GDP in the world. Great investment. & I'd rather see the players get the $$$ than the billionaire owners.

Look, society decided long ago that sports stars, movie stars, TV stars, rock stars, and so on are worth millions. All are fields in which 1 in 100,00 makes it. Other people try but the don't become sports stars, etc. Over 10 years Ohtani is to be paid this money. Baseball owners (billionaires) think he is worth it. The big baseball stars all earn money as if they won the lottery every year. For most of the history of US baseball the players were obscenely underpaid. Now they are getting what the owners think they are worth. Maybe these big stars earn more money than they should. But probably not. That's what sports owners, movie producers, record companies, etc., have decided. They are making money. Even the Dodgers with Ohtani's contract. Maybe it shouldn't be that way, but it is. As an underpaid teacher most of my life, if the university offered me Ohtani's money, I'd grab it. Do you blame Ohtani? I was able to buy a house and raise a kid, sometimes having to scrape to get by. My salary, however, didn't have anything to do with the millions people make in certain fields. I was happy and I see nothing wrong with the people in those fields I've mentioned getting the money they are paid.

700M for 10 years for Ohtani

vs.

536M for 2.5 years for Christiano Ronaldo.

Which one is the higher paid athlete?

2 things: The Dodgers instantly gained basically 120 million new fans with the 3rd largest GDP in the world. 

Not to be too pedantic but I think it is now the 4th.

Great points though.

He is worth as much or as little as they are prepared to pay for him...

I’d say no athlete is worth that much but then I thought about how much money the owners have and get off these deals etc.

yeah that’s fine if you can get to the top like that. Also Ohtani seems like a decent guy so good for him. Looking at the deal though he won’t get paid til he’s probably ready to retire and has to keep his nose clean which won’t be a problem I guess

No one is worth that much playing a game. Finding a cure for cancer or other diseases yes.

So pretty much an athlete's salary takes presidence over other professions that build up people, both academically and intellectually. Is that true? Let's see - an athlete's salary vs. a teacher's salary. Ahhh! Gotcha. (sarcasm)

"Wouldn't it be nice if he donated some of it, say half, to good causes? He wouldn't even notice."

Easy come; easy go!

Certainly market(ING) driven, reach is a crazy thing.

It's gratifying that the vote is over 70% believing no sports star is worth that much money. There is hope for the world. It's not about what the market can bear or any such nonsense either to justify it. This market system also rewards those who do nothing except "invest" their already copious sums in amoral companies, rigged so they can barely fail, as well as those creating addictions for sales, those who turn suffering into an income stream, those who kill the planet without a care, sociopaths in boardrooms, while denying decent, hardworking people their just rewards. If you call such a view socialism, that's your problem. To me it is about becoming conscious and not a slave to a system only interested in turning everything into money for a few.

What nobody is discussing is the fact that a majority of players who has TJ Surgery are never the same after. Much like Mark Grace, Kerry Wood, and Jose Canseco to name a few. But we'll see, I wish him the best.

No, Nobody is worth that sort of money. Those in charge only allow it so they can pay themselves more.

In a nutshell.

He's worth every penny.

More power to him.

A win-win situation. Dodgers win, Ohtani Senshu wins! Plus he's built. up a ton of good will by deferrring 68 million yearly which allows the Dodgers to go out and get more good players.

Although he's only one guy and a team is made up of 9 players, the Dodgers will prolly win a few World Series rings during his 10-year K thanks to his contributions.

If Elon Musk can be worth more than $200 billion, why can't a sports star make $700 million?