Sports World Reacts to Shohei Ohtani’s $700 Million Contract With the Los Angeles Dodgers

On Saturday, Shohei Ohtani announced that he would be joining the Los Angeles Dodgers roster. Ohtani, the most highly sought-after player this offseason, will go to the other team in Los Angeles as part of a 10-year, $700 million contract.

Ohtani's presence on the Dodgers is likely to boost an already championship-caliber team. But for many, the biggest story is that $700 million price tag — the richest contract in sports history; an amount that high has social media buzzing.

Los Angeles Laker legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson, a part-owner in the Dodgers, congratulated Ohtani on joining the organization.

For most, though, the reactions were less about the team he picked, and more about the money he picked up.

Other MLB players had strong reactions to the news, with Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto saying that he literally laughed out loud, prompting a concerned citizen to ask if he was alright.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler, who will join Ohtani on the Dodgers' mound next season, joked about a rumor that Ohtani had named his dog after one of the teams he was considering.

Others focus on the future prospects of their children; ESPN analyst Mina Kimes joked that she would be teaching her newborn son how to play baseball like Ohtani.

The extraordinary contract value also drew a number of comparisons to the NFL, especially with highly-paid quarterbacks — including from NFL Network's Adam Schefter.

Even top NFL players like former defensive end JJ Watt and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — neither of whom are strangers to large paychecks — were blown away by the amount.

New York Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh, though, could only think about the taxes.

Skip Bayless kept up his ruthless anti-LeBron James sentiment, suggesting the Lakers star was not the most prominent sports player in the City of Angels.

And of course, there's seemingly proof again of the Drake curse, as the rapper posted a photo of himself in an Ohtani jersey while rumors about the two-way player arriving in Toronto to meet with the Blue Jays made their way around the internet.