The Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani $700 million to hit and pitch — but also because he can sell

Shohei Ohtani's jaw-dropping $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers has some similarities to other contracts for the world's biggest sports stars, including soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The global music sensation's broad appeal — one that bridges the gap between generations and expands to other countries — is an extremely rare phenomenon that Ohtani shares. There's no doubt the Dodgers hope they can leverage the Japanese star' s arrival into even more money for a franchise that is already one of the most popular in Major League Baseball.