Arrr! Shohei Ohtani, Bobby Bonilla, and other scallywags with their mad deferred contracts in the annals of MLB history!
2023-12-15
Arrr, me hearties! Aforetimes, Bobby Bonilla be known as the dreaded holder of the most infamous deferred deal. But now, young Shohei Ohtani be takin' that ill-fated crown. Yet, I tell ye, there be many more scoundrels who be worthy of recognition, if ye be askin' me.
Ohtani's decision to defer a major portion of his contract is not entirely unprecedented. There have been other infamous deferred payment deals in the past. One such example is Ken Griffey Jr., who signed a nine-year, $116.5 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds in 2000. A significant portion of that deal was deferred, with the Reds still paying Griffey $3,593,750 per year until the final year of the contract.
Another example is Chris Davis, who signed a seven-year, $161 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles in 2016. Davis's contract became one of the worst in MLB history, as he struggled with injuries and poor performance. The Orioles decided to defer the final $17 million of his contract, with Davis receiving payments until 2037.
Max Scherzer is another player who is currently being paid by multiple teams due to deferred payments. When he signed a $210 million deal with the Washington Nationals in 2015, half of the contract was deferred until after it expired in 2021. Scherzer was later traded to the New York Mets and then to the Texas Rangers, with different teams handling the payments.
Lastly, the infamous Bobby Bonilla deal with the Mets is worth mentioning. Instead of paying the remaining $5.9 million on his contract, the Mets negotiated a deal to make annual payments of over $1 million to Bonilla until 2035. This unusual arrangement was a result of the Mets' financial issues due to their investment with Bernie Madoff.
In conclusion, while Ohtani's decision to defer a significant portion of his contract is surprising, it is not entirely unheard of in the world of sports. Other players have also opted for deferred payment arrangements in the past, leading to some interesting financial situations for teams.