Shohei Ohtani can reportedly opt out of Dodgers contract under 1 circumstance

Jun 12, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) bats against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Shohei Ohtani may not necessarily be beholden to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the entirety of his 10-year contract.

Beth Harris and Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reported Wednesday that the new Dodgers superstar Ohtani will be able to opt out of his contract with the team under one notable circumstance — if either of Mark Walter or Andrew Friedman loses their respective roles on the Dodgers. Walter serves as the controlling owner of the Dodgers, and Andrew Friedman is the team’s president of baseball operations. Ohtani will able to terminate his contract with the Dodgers should either figure no longer be in place.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports notes that this provision in Ohtani’s contract is what is called a “Key Man” clause. Ex-MLB manager Joe Maddon also had such a clause in his contract and exercised it when he departed the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014. Interestingly enough, that clause was also tied to Friedman, who was the GM of the Rays at the time but left in 2014 for the Dodgers, thereby activating Maddon’s “Key Man.”

Ohtani is also getting a full no-trade clause in his 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. It is a quid pro quo that makes perfect sense for both sides, especially since Ohtani agreed to some unprecedented salary deferments in the deal.

Walter and Friedman are two highly-respected decision-makers who have each held their respective posts with the Dodgers for many years now. While Ohtani is committed to a long-term partnership with the Dodgers, a lot can change over the course of a decade, so he is giving himself the option to reconsider things if anything major happens with the organization.