Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the team after the 2023 MLB season. He spent the early years of his career with the Los Angeles Angels before committing long-term to the Dodgers.
Ohtani’s contract reset the baseball world. But after the 2024 season, the New York Mets gave outfielder Juan Soto a 15-year, $765 million deal—breaking Ohtani’s record from the previous offseason. Still, what kind of bold comment did Ohtani’s agent make about Soto’s contract?
Shohei Ohtani’s Agent Makes Bold Statement About Juan Soto’s Contract
The business of sports changes every year. Ohtani earns massive money in endorsements and more. His agent, Nez Balelo, spoke Thursday at Sportico’s Invest West Conference at Intuit Dome and claimed Ohtani is making more than $100 million annually from endorsements.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported:
“Balelo is not, shall we say, Scott Boras. He does not embrace public speaking. So we dropped by to hear what Balelo had to say after the first full season of Ohtani’s record-breaking $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
“The record did not last long. Juan Soto signed for $765 million with the New York Mets last winter.
“And, because Ohtani deferred $680 million and Soto deferred $0, and because a dollar today is worth more than a dollar 10 years from now, the actual value of Soto’s contract is $765 million and the actual value of Ohtani’s is $460 million.”
So, regrets?
Balelo addressed whether he would’ve changed anything about Ohtani’s deal in hindsight: “Not at all. We wouldn’t do anything different. He won a championship. He went to the right team. Why would we do anything different? No regrets. Nothing.”
It only took Ohtani one season with the Dodgers to win a World Series after leaving the Angels. The Dodgers were the best team in baseball during the 2024 season, and they’re leading the way again in 2025. Ohtani is chasing history with a franchise that knows how to win. No team has repeated as World Series champions since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.
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The 30-year-old has played in 36 games this season, posting a .296 average with 11 home runs, 16 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases (with two caught stealing). He’s getting on base at a .405 clip. Ohtani was also the National League MVP in 2024. His agent clearly believes jumping from the Angels to the Dodgers was the best move.
As for Soto, it was about who would pay the most—and the Mets stepped up. Despite an up-and-down 2025 season, he’s helped the Mets climb into first place in the NL East. He may end New York’s long World Series drought. But every deal is different, and while Soto has the bigger contract on paper, Ohtani remains the bigger global icon when it comes to marketing and endorsements.