
LOS ANGELES, CA — Here is the first topic of my thoughts today. Now that the Dodgers have landed the number one free agent mega star Shohei Ohtani to an astronomical $700 million dollar ten-year contract, they quickly traded one of their top starting pitching prospects, Ryan Pepiot, and outfield prospect Jonny Deluca, for Tampa Bay’s starter Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot, from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. They then wasted no time signing Glasnow to a five-year $135 million extension, with the money freed up by Ohtani’s decision to defer the bulk of his money until 2034.

Shohei Ohtani, the two-way Japanese phenom, and new $700 million dollar man – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
And don’t feel bad for Ohtani only making a mere $2 million per year for the next ten years. Yes, he will probably end up with a paltry amount of about $750,000 living in Los Angeles after taxes. Still, he earns an estimated $40 million a year off the field from sponsors, memorabilia, licensing, and appearances.

Tampa Bay Rays got a good one in Ryan Pepiot from the Dodgers – Image Credit: ESPN
Word of warning for Dodger fans about Glasnow. He has been on the IL many times: forearm strain, oblique strain, elbow strain, and Tommy John surgery in 2014. He is another product of players in the minor leagues being developed to throw as hard as possible for a predetermined limit. He is an example of how the geniuses who never played the game have put amazing athletes in a position to become part of the DL epidemic that has soiled the major leagues today.

Tampa Bay’s former gunslinger Tyler Glasnow, how effective will he be in Hollywood? – Image Credit: MLB
TOPIC NUMBER 2: $700 million? Can you imagine what players in the HOF would be making today? Let’s look at the great Roberto Clemente. He had a net worth of $300 thousand when he tragically died in 1972. That’s the equivalent of about $1.9 million in today’s dollars. During his career, Roberto earned around $760,000 in salary. In his last season in baseball, he earned $150,000 in salary. That’s the same as making around $933,000 today. That’s a lot of money, but not close to the money players make today.

21 Days of Clemente: Roberto Clemente sprints around first base – Image Credit: Roberto Clemente Museum
FUN FACT: By the way, the Pirates were not the first MLB team to sign Clemente. The Brooklyn Dodgers signed him as an amateur free agent before the 1952 season. However, the Dodgers tried to hide him on a minor-league roster, and they would take him out of games so scouts would think he was injured. Roberto became angry with his treatment, and actually wanted to quit the game at that time. The Pirates were not fooled and selected Clemente in the Rule 5 draft following the 1954 season. He would spend his entire major league career in Pittsburgh.
Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content
Instagram: @latinosportsoficial
Facebook: Latino Sports
Twitter: @latinosports

Julio Pabón
December 18, 2023 at 12:42 pm
Good piece, putting some issues on target.