[Baseball's two-way player phenomenon, Shohei Ohtani, just reached an enormous agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash] 

Shohei Ohtani’s new contract spans 10 years and is worth a staggering 700 million dollars.

However, what makes this deal even more intriguing is  how Ohtani structured his payments, which is in itself as strange as the amount of the contract.

Rather than  receiving all that money in a lump sum, Ohtani decided to put most of it off.

What that means is that although the Dodgers do not have to pay the full 700 million immediately, they will have to face significant financial obligations in the far future, even after his retirement.

Ohtani has made things a bit easier for the Los Angeles team with regard to the salary cap by moving up most of the contract's payment to the end.

Initially, Ohtani will set the Dodgers back 2 million in salary cap terms, and this would help a lot in terms of letting the organization control their roster and finances.

Furthermore, Ohtani has penned a deal with the Dodgers up to 2033, by which time he will turn 38 years old.

At that point, he will most likely be among the oldest active players in that league who are still competing at a high level.

With such a massive deal, Ohtani is set to rake in $70 million annually.

However,  instead of collecting the full amount during his playing days, Ohtani agreed to a pay schedule where the Dodgers won't begin paying him until 2024 and he won't see the entire $700 million until 2043.

Thisarrangement benefits both parties; for Ohtani, who will still be making a lot of money well into his retirement, and for the Dodgers, who get some cap flexibility while still keeping him on their roster for the foreseeable future.

Though Ohtani’s contract may seem out of this world, it’s strategically designed to benefit both him and the Dodgers in the long run.

The long-term nature of Ohtani’s payments also ensures that the Dodgers will continue to benefit from his legacy.

Even after retirement, Ohtani’s influence and brand will likely remain a major part of the Dodgers’ marketing and business strategy.

This approach could be a smart move from both a financial and branding perspective.

The deal now locks Ohtani into a decade-long deal with the Dodgers, securing not just one of the game's best players but perhaps aligning themselves with the sport's most globally recognized name.

In that vein, this is a huge financial windfall for Ohtani, but also a pretty intelligent one in terms of post-retirement income.

Ohtani will continue to rake it in long after he hangs them up, one of the most marketable athletes around the world. 

This may start a new standard with which other athletes will approach contracts, not necessarily about making the most during the period they are active but building for a lifetime beyond the active playing of their sport.

Experts suggest that this contract could influence the way sports contracts are structured in the future, offering a blueprint for both players and teams to consider.

With Ohtani’s exceptional talents and the innovative nature of this deal, it’s clear that he is not just transforming the game on the field, but off the field as well.