"Aaron Judge sells tickets, Juan Soto sells few, but nobody like Shohei Ohtani" - MLB insider gives Babe Ruth comparison for Dodgers superstar 

Shohei Ohtani's record-breaking contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the way it is structured is still making its impact on their offseason moves one year later. Having deferred the majority of his salary after signing the biggest contract in baseball, Ohtani has allowed the Dodgers to remain aggressive in the market and they have shown it by signing Blake Snell this year.

According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, while players like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto sell lots of tickets, no one comes close to Ohtani's value off the field:

"With $2 million in salary and $68 million deferred every year, it costs the Dodgers about a $43 million a year really. And they're making more than that not only on ticket sales but also promotions, sponsorships, tourists coming in from Japan," Nightengale said on the "Dodgers Nation" podcast.

"Aaron Judge sells tickets, Juan Soto sells few, but nobody sells tickets like Shohei Ohtani. He makes about $65 million off the field... no one has ever meant this much to baseball as far as sponsorships and stuff maybe since Babe Ruth," he added.

(from 2:52 mark onwards)

When Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the LA Dodgers in December last year, both parties had one goal in mind: win the World Series. Having achieved that goal in their first year together, they are now looking to establish an era of dominance in the MLB.

Having deferred huge amounts of money that they owe their star players like Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, the Dodgers have managed to remain competitive in the market. They have continued to be aggressive in the market and landed Blake Snell, one of the top free agents, this year.

However, deferred money is one thing and a player's value off the field is another. According to Bob Nightengale, Ohtani brings in about $65 million for the Dodgers off the field in ticket sales, promotions and sponsorships. Hence, it has been a great deal for both parties as Ohtani remains one of the highest-paid players while his impact off the field allows to Dodgers to make their profits and spend it.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirms Shohei Ohtani will pitch in 2025 but not in March

The LA Dodgers are set to face the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo this year as they kick off the 2025 MLB season. In a recent interview, manager Dave Roberts said that it is unlikely that Ohtani will start pitching in March, having not pitched in the majors for over a year now.

"He hasn’t pitched in over a year. We have to manage how many innings he has for 2025. If we start him in March he won’t be able to sustain that through October," Roberts said via AP News.com.

The Dodgers ended last season in need of some pitching reinforcements and they seem to have solved that problem now. Having signed up Blake Snell, there is now no need to rush Ohtani back to the mound next year.