"Please buy the Mariners, Shohei Ohtani" - Fans react hilariously as Dodgers superstar adds $3.5 billion-worth food corporation to list of sponsors

When it was announced that Shohei Ohtani would be deferring $680 million out of his $700 million commitment from the LA Dodgers, more than a few heads turned. However, despite officially taking a $2 million per year salary from the Dodgers, the superstar's professional endorsements and sponsorships all but make up the difference.

Shohei Ohtani has signed an advertising contract with food manufacturer Nisshin Seifun Welna Inc. He also has sponsorship deals with Porsche and Japan Airlines, and his side income is said to exceed 10 billion yen (approximately $64,863,462). byu/ogasawarabaseball inbaseball

On Tuesday, it was announced that Ohtani's team had hammered out yet another such deal. This time, Nisshin Seifun Welna Inc. was the focal point of a new advertising deal. The news prompted fans to have their say on Reddit.

Comment byu/ogasawarabaseball from discussion inbaseball

Comment byu/ogasawarabaseball from discussion inbaseball

Comment byu/ogasawarabaseball from discussion inbaseball

For the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar, the deal with Nisshin Seifun Welna Inc. is far from a novelty. Among his $40 million annual earnings from professional sponsorships, Shohei Ohtani counts Topps, New Balance, Seiko, Mitsubishi, and Japan Airlines as firms that he has some sort of arrangement with.

"Ohtani it's me your long lost Mexican brother" - chortled a fan

"His side income is baseball lol." - observed another

"$65m side hustle and $2m main job. Cool." - pondered a fan

One of the largest food manufacturers in Japan, Nisshin Seifun Welna Inc. has operations around the world. Currently trading at 1,847.00 JPY, news of the big-time deal had fans asking Shohei Ohtani to buy other things, such as the Seattle Mariners.

"Please buy the Mariners Shohei" - pleaded a fan

"Time for him to buy doc that porsche" - claimed another

"It's his world and we're all just living in it" - came a final thought

Having recently led the Dodgers to a World Series win over the New York Yankees, Shohei Ohtani's brand is as valuable as ever. As can be surmised from the fact that both American and Japanese firms are lining up for a deal, Ohtani has an appeal on both sides of the Pacific Ocean that has rarely been seen before.

Shohei Ohtani continues to bridge cultural barriers

With his popularity soaring in both the USA and Japan, it is impossible not to see Shohei Ohtani as one of the primary cultural vehicles of our time. As former Yankee Alex Rodriguez recently claimed about the star:

"He's had a huge impact on strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and Japan more than ever before."

Now, with nine seasons left on his commitment with the Dodgers, Ohtani has a lot more time to show the world what else he can do, as well as earn more deals in the process.