The Los Angeles Dodgers are spending yet another off-season loading up on talent, already making them heavy favorites to win the World Series in 2025. They’ve been able to stack their roster thanks to more than a handful of players accepting deferred payments, and they are breaking records in that department seemingly monthly. They can still add more to the total, but the Dodgers are now up to $1.3 billion in future payments on their books.
The Dodgers Continue To Exploit Deferred Payment Loophole
Guys like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman originally set the tone. When Betts signed an extension with the Dodgers upon arrive in Los Angeles in 2020, he agreed to receiving $115 million of the $365 million contract at a later date. Beginning with the year after the extension expires (2033), the MVP outfielder will take home over $10 million per year over the span of 11 years, long after he is retired. Freeman accepted a similar fate in 2022, when he agreed to $57 million in deferred money.
But the biggest and most glaring example of the Dodgers exploiting the loophole came with the Shohei Ohtani situation. The Japanese superstar signed a record-breaking deal last off-season worth $700 million over the span of 10 years. But instead of earning $70 million annually through 2033, he’ll cost Los Angeles just $2 million per season. When the deal expires in 2034, Ohtani will then receive an incredible $68 million each year for the following ten.
Deferred $ on Active #Dodgers Contracts
Shohei Ohtani: $680M
Mookie Betts: $115M
Blake Snell: $66M
Freddie Freeman: $57M
Will Smith: $50M
Tommy Edman: $25M
Teoscar Hernandez: $23.5M
Tanner Scott: $21MTotal: $1.375B
— Spotrac (@spotrac) January 19, 2025
Of the $700 million owed to Shohei Ohtani, a total of $680 million comes in deferred payments.
The trend has continued this off-season. Tommy Edman’s new contract includes $25 million in future payments, and Blake Snell accepted $66 million of his $182 million, 5-year contract that will come in increments of $5.5 million every year from 2035 til 2046. Most recently, relief pitcher Tanner Scott added $21 million to the future commitments for the Dodgers.
With all of the figures added up, the Los Angeles Dodgers now have $1.375 billion in deferred payments. They will be paid out between 2028 and 2046 (as of now).
The signing of Scott comes on the heels of the already-stacked team adding more international talent. In addition to the acquisitions of Ohtani and Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers also locked down this year’s most sought after import in Roki Sasaki. As of mid-January, they are listed as +380 favorites to win the next World Series. The next lowest odds belong to the Atlanta Braves, who come in at +800.
