Sources — Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani can opt out if Walter, Friedman exit

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani's historic deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers allows him to step down if owner Mark Walter or president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is no longer involved with the team, league sources said. industry at ESPN.

The email outlining Ohtani's contract that was distributed Wednesday by the Major League Baseball Players Association and reviewed by ESPN stated: “In the event of a specific change in Dodger personnel, the player may withdraw from the contract at the end of the season, the change happens.” Two sources close to the contract confirmed an initial Associated Press report that the “specific change” referred to Walter and Friedman.

Ohtani agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers on Saturday, making him the highest-paid athlete in the history of North American professional sports. The deal, officially announced by the Dodgers on Monday, comes with heavy postponements. Ohtani will receive $680 million over the 10 years following the agreement, from 2034 to 2043.

The Dodgers will pay Ohtani $2 million for each season of his playing career, but will have to place an additional $44 million in an escrow account to fund the deferrals. The total value of Ohtani's contract, including deferrals, according to the MLBPA, is $437,830,563. The Dodgers' annual cost for their competitive payroll will still be around $46 million.

The contract does not include a traditional opt-out clause, but does feature a full no-trade clause. Ohtani will enjoy a suite at Dodger Stadium for all regular season and playoff games and will also donate up to 1% of his contract to the team's charitable foundation, which is standard parlance for free agent contracts.