Here is the list of the seven players with new contracts, showing what they made in 2023 and what they will make in 2024:

• Pitcher Shane Bieber: $10.1 million in 2023, $13,125,000 in 2024.

• Pitcher Triston McKenzie: $739,000, $1.6 million.

• First baseman/DH Josh Naylor: $3.35 million, $6.5 million.

• Reliever Scott Barlow: $5.3 million, $6,7 million.

• Reliever James Karinchack: $1,5 million, $1.9 million.

• Reliever Sam Hentges: $730,200, $1.162,500.

• Reliever Nick Sandlin: $726,000, $1,075,000.

The increases total $9,617,300. Perhaps now that he has that figure in mind, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti will know how much if any he can spend to acquire a bat to add some power to the Guardians’ anemic outfield.

Randal Grichuk, 32, hit 16 home runs and drove in 44 runs for the Rockies and Angels in 434 at-bats in 2023. Grichuk is a free agent. He’ll never be confused with Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, but 16 homers is four more than the Guardians’ starting outfield of Steve Kwan (five), Will Brennan (five) and Myles Straw (1), combined for in 1,532 at-bats last season.

Antonetti during a wrapup news conference at the end of the 2023 season said he wants more production from center field and right field. He is content to leave Kwan in left field. He especially wants more from center field. Straw is an excellent defender, but he hit a paltry .238 and drove in 29 runs in 147 games.

Straw walked 42 times and struck out 97 times. Striking out more than twice as many times as he walked for a hitter with zero power is unacceptable. To compare, Jose Ramirez walked 73 times and struck out 73 times. He led the team with 24 home runs. Josh Naylor led the Guardians with 97 RBI. He was very disciplined at the plate. He batted a team-best .308 and struck out 68 times. He drew 33 walks.

Shane Bieber and the Guardians have avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a $13,125,000 contract for next season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Jan. 11.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.

Teams and players were set to exchange proposed arbitration salaries later Jan. 11.

Bieber, who was limited to 21 starts last season because of an elbow injury, finalized his deal ahead of the deadline, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced any agreements.

Bieber made $10.1 million last season.

The 28-year-old Bieber has been the subject of trade speculation the past two seasons, and the right-hander may have been moved last year had he not gotten hurt.

While he’s been their staff ace for several seasons, the Guardians know they probably can’t afford to sign Bieber to a long-term deal, which is they’ve considered trading him before he’s eligible for free agency.

The AL Cy Young Award winner in 2020, Bieber went 6-6 in 2023 with a 3.80 ERA. In six years with Cleveland, he’s 60-32 with a 3.27 ERA and has been an All-Star twice.

The Guardians have six other arbitration-eligible players: first baseman Josh Naylor, starter Triston McKenzie and relievers Scott Barlow, James Karinchak, Sam Hentges and Nick Sandlin.

But don’t close the book on 2023 just yet because the best story of the year is still being written.

1. Browns make playoffs despite injuries: The Browns’ march to the playoffs not only is the best thing that happened on the Cleveland sports scene in 2023; it has become such a feel-good story because of all the injuries they overcame to clinch that even Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel talked about them during a news conference in Miami. That’s noteworthy because the Dolphins were preparing for a huge Dec. 31 game with the Ravens in Baltimore. Normally a coach would say something like, “I’m just thinking about our team.”

McDaniel was responding to a question from a Dolphins beat writer who mentioned watching the Browns beat the Jets on Dec. 28 and compared the way they’re playing to the Texas Rangers winning the World Series despite being without starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.

“A lot of people were worried about what (the Browns) didn’t have except them,” McDaniel said. “When your focus is on the opponent and not what you don’t have, really cool things can happen. And because they were put behind the eight ball with injuries, now the accomplishments are that much more satisfying.

“Henceforth, adversity is opportunity. That’s kind of the name of the game in life and football. They’re doing a tremendous job providing that example.”

The Browns are 11-5. The only team in the AFC with a better record is the Ravens (13-3). Six Browns starters are on injured reserve — running back Nick Chubb, quarterback Deshaun Watson, right tackle Jack Conklin, left tackle Jedrick Wills, middle linebacker Jacob Phillips and kick returner Jakeem Grant.

Backup right tackle Dawand Jones and backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson are also on I.R. Kicker Dustin Hopkins, middle linebacker Anthony Walker, punter Corey Bojorquez and defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo are too injured to play but they are not on I.R.

2. Terry Francona retires: Terry Francona began managing the Indians in 2013 and quickly put his stamp on the team. The Indians were 68-94 in 2012. A year later they were 92-70 and an American League wild-card team. The Tampa Bay Rays eliminated them in a one-game playoff.

Francona, 64, on Aug. 22 during his routine pregame news conference casually hinted 2023 would be his last season, even though he didn’t come right out and say it until Oct. 3. He did not want the focus of the last six weeks of the season to be about him.

“I need to get healthy for my life, and this lifestyle is just too difficult,” Francona said in August. “I also know how I feel about doing the job a certain way, and I don’t think I can necessarily do that anymore. And that bothers me.

“When I got done as a player (1990), I had given everything I could — and I knew it and never looked back. I think that’s probably where I’m at now. I’m in a pretty comfortable place. I’m at peace with it.”

Francona was 921-757 as manager of the Indians/Guardians. He took them to the playoffs six times — four times as AL Central Division champions and twice as a wild-card team. The Indians played for the World Series title in 2016 and lost to the Cubs in the 10th inning of Game 7.

3. Browns sign Joe Flacco: Browns general manager Andrew Berry became infatuated with Dorian Thompson-Robinson because the rookie quarterback from UCLA played well against the Jets in the Hall of Fame game Aug. 3. DTR also completed nine of 10 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Commanders in a preseason game.

The confidence in Thompson-Robinson prompted Berry to trade veteran backup Joshua Dobbs to the Cardinals for a fifth-round draft pick in August. It was a bad miscalculation by Berry, because when the games began to count and Deshaun Watson was sidelined with a shoulder injury, DTR was exposed as not being ready to lead a team to the playoffs. P.J. Walker, who started the season on the practice squad, was even more unqualified.

Berry was in a jam, so he invited Joe Flacco to Berea for a tryout on Nov. 17. Flacco, 38, last played for the Jets in the 2022 season finale. He said as September, October and mid-November went by he became convinced he wouldn’t play football in 2023.

The call from Berry changed that, and it changed the course of the Browns this season. Had Berry not traded Dobbs, Flacco might still be on his couch back home in South Philadelphia.

4. Nick Chubb injured: Right tackle Jack Conklin suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season opener. One week later, Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick took down Browns star running back Nick Chubb with a tackle at the knees.

Chubb suffered a torn ACL and MCL. His season was over. Injuries are part of football, but Chubb is much more than a 1,000-yard rusher for the Browns. He is the heart and soul of the team. Just imagine how formidable the offense would be if Flacco had Chubb in the backfield.

“I’m very disappointed for Nick,” Coach Kevin Stefanski said a day after the injury. “He means a lot to this team, means a lot to this organization. So he will be missed, but he will bounce back. Of that, I have no doubt.”

The MCL was surgically repaired in September. The ACL surgery was performed Nov. 14.

The Browns have been running back by committee without Chubb. Led by Jerome Ford (807 yards), the Browns have rushed for 1,913 yards (3.9 average) and 15 touchdowns,

5. Jim Brown dies: I remember talking with Jim Brown during training camp about 10 years ago. He still looked fit at 75 years old, but he sometimes had to lean on a cane.

“Father Time is undefeated,” he said.

Brown passed away on May 18 at age 87 after a long unspecified illness.

The Browns selected Brown with the sixth pick of the 1957 draft. He played nine seasons, all for the Browns, and was the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 12,312 yards when he retired after the 1965 season. He was voted the NFL’s MVP in his final season.

Brown was an actor, an activist and in his later years an ambassador for the Browns when they returned to the NFL as an expansion team in 1999. He would speak to the team in training camp until his health began to decline. He commanded a room like few people can and told the players about the history of the Browns but also about how their position as a professional athlete gave them a platform to make a difference in the community.

The Browns are honoring Brown with a “32” patch on the front of their uniforms.

6. Browns hire Jim Schwartz: Jim Schwartz on Jan. 17 was hired as defensive coordinator to replace fired Joe Woods and immediately the personality of the Browns was transformed.

Schwartz let his players know he would use an attacking philosophy, and that is exactly how they’ve played all season. It helped, too, that Berry fortified the defensive line by signing defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst and Shelby Harris plus defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo in free agency. He acquired defensive end Za’Darius Smith plus a 2025 sixth-round pick and a 2025 seventh-round pick for the Browns’ fifth-round pick in 2024 and 2025. Smith has 5.5 sacks, second only to the 14 posted by Myles Garrett.

Third-year linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is having his best season with the Browns because of Schwartz’ philosophy. Garrett has been dominant even though he went five weeks without a sack.

“In my mind the definition of a great player is when an opponent starts their game plan with ‘we’re gonna take care of this guy,’” Schwartz said when asked about Garrett. “Like ‘we’re not gonna let this guy beat us’ and he’s still able to be effective and he’s still able to play at a high level.

“In my career, I’ve really seen that from three players. I’ve seen it from Myles. I’ve seen it from (Lions Hall of Fame wide receiver) Calvin Johnson and I saw it from (Ravens Hall of Fame linebacker) Ray Lewis. Guys that every week the opponent said ‘this guy’s not gonna beat us’ and every week that player still made plays.”

The Browns are on a four-game winning streak.

7. Cavs exit playoffs quickly: Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman boldly traded first-round draft picks in 2025, ‘27 and 2029 along with Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and 2022 rookie Ochai Agbaji to the Utah Jazz for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell about a month before the 2022-23 training camp started. The Cavs and Jazz agreed to swap picks in 2026 and 2028.

The trade helped the Cavs improve from 44-38 to 51-31 in the regular season. It was good enough for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, but the Cavaliers were eliminated by the Knicks in five games in the first round of the playoffs. The Knicks won twice at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, where the Cavs lost only 10 games in the regular season.

Altman declared the season a success despite the poor performance in the playoffs. He vowed to keep the core four — Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — together. He held true to that vow but did tweak the roster (see No. 10). Altman believes the experience gained will pay off in the playoffs this spring. We shall see.

8. Guardians hire Steve Vogt: Francona managed 23 years in the Majors with the Phillies, Red Sox and Indians/Guardians. The man hired to take over in the dugout, Stephen Vogt, was a catcher for the Oakland A’s as recently as 2022.

Vogt was the bullpen coach for the Seattle Mariners in 2023. Despite his inexperience, Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti is confident Vogt is ready to be a big league manager.

“Steven is wise beyond his years,” Antonetti said Nov. 10 at Vogt’s introductory news conference. “He has a unique blend of self-confidence and humility. He has a great baseball mind. There were so many things that stood out as we thought about the leader we were trying to bring to the organization. He checks all the boxes for us.”

Vogt believes being a catcher for 11 seasons groomed him to be a manager.

“I know how to deal with position players because I was one, and I know how to deal with pitchers because I worked with them throughout my whole career,” Vogt said. “They are two very different breeds. To put it nicely.

“I also think the majority of my career was game planning and making in-game decisions. There are 150 to 175 in-game decisions that as a catcher you make every night. Any one of them could be the impact that leads to a win or loss. So having that ability and having gone through that process is really going to help.”

The Guardians were 76-86 in 2023.

9. Young pitchers come through: Injuries decimated the Guardians’ starting rotation. Pitchers normally make about 30 starts a year if they stay healthy. Triston McKenzie made four starts, Cal Quantrill 19, Shane Bieber 21 and Aaron Civale 13 before being shipped to the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline. Zach Plesac made just five starts before being demoted to Triple-A Columbus. He subsequently was designated for assignment.

The injuries accelerated the promotions of Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Gavin Williams to the Guardians. They started 25, 24 and 16 games respectively and finished with a combined record of 20-17. Bibee was the best of the three. He was 10-4 until a hip injury ended his season.in mid-September. The injury is not expected to affect him when spring training begins in February.

No team has too much starting pitching, but the emergence of Bibee, Allen and Williams means the Guardians might trade Bieber. He will be a free agent in 2025 without a new contract.

10. Cavs add Strus, Niang: Altman figured the best way to improve the Cavs without breaking up the band was to acquire outside shooting. To that end, he traded with the Miami Heat for Max Strus and signed Georges Niang in free agency.

The Strus trade was not costly to the Cavaliers regarding assets used to facilitate the deal. The Cavs sent a 2026 second-round pick (via the Lakers) to Miami, and traded forwards Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens plus Cleveland’s own 2030 second-round pick to San Antonio in a three-team trade.

Strus has started all 32 games (18-14) and has helped the Cavs stay above .500 while Garland (fractured jaw) and Mobley (knee surgery) recover from their injuries. Strus is averaging 14 points a game.

Niang provides offense off the bench. He has played in all 32 games but started only once. He is averaging 8.1 points in 22 minutes a game.

Florial signed with the Yankees in 2015 and was rated their top prospect in 2019 by MLB.com before dropping to sixth in 2020, 10th in 2021 and 30th in 2022.

He made his big league debut in August 2020 and has played in just 48 major league games over four seasons, hitting .209 with one homer, 11 RBIs and six stolen bases.

Florial batted .230 with eight RBI and three steals in 19 games for the Yankees this year while hitting .284 with 28 homers, 79 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 101 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Morris, 27, made his big league debut in September 2022 and had a 6.75 ERA in six appearances with the Guardians this year, striking out nine and walking six in eight innings. He averaged 95.2 mph with his fastball in the majors, also throwing a cutter, curveball and changeup.

Morris was 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA in four starts and 17 relief appearances for Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron this year, striking out 56 and walking 27 in 39 innings.

New York appeared to have a glut of outfielders after acquiring Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from San Diego and Alex Verdugo from Boston. The Yankees traded right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe to the Padres in the Soto swap along with catcher Kyle Higashioka.

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani opened his first news conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers by dodging questions about whether he had a second Tommy John surgery.

“At the time of the announcement, we didn’t know which way we were going to go. That’s why I never said what type of procedure was going to be done,” Ohtani said Dec. 14 at a news conference to discuss his record $700 million, 10-year contract.

It was Ohtani’s first time speaking with the media since Aug. 9, two weeks before a pitching injury that required surgery with Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Sept. 19 and will keep him off the mound until 2025. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery with ElAttrache on Oct. 1, 2018.

“I’m not obviously an expert in the medical field, but it was a procedure,” Ohtani said. “I’m not sure what it’s called, I know it was completely different from my first time, so I don’t know what you what to call it. You could probably talk to my doctor about that.”

Ohtani refused to say what other teams he negotiated with before the agreement last weekend.

“Free agency is still going on and I don’t really want to mess with their plans and I don’t want to say anything wrong, so I do want to really talk about what I had talks with with other organizations,” he said through translator Ippei Mizuhara.

Ohtani did, however, reveal the name of his dog, seen on his lap when he appeared on the MLB Network for the announcement of his second MVP award on Nov. 16. The dog has the American name “Decoy” and a Japanese name, “Dekopin” or “Decopin” depending on the transliteration.

He wore a navy business suit with a white shirt and blue tie, took off the jacket and put on a Dodgers home jersey with No. 17 and then the blue cap with the interlocking L&A. He took off the cap before speaking.

“One thing that really stands out in my head,” he said, “when I had the meeting with the Dodgers, the ownership group, they said when they looked back at the last 10 years, even though they made the playoffs every single year, won one World Series ring, they considered that a failure. And when I heard that, I knew they were all about winning, and that’s exactly how I feel.”

Ohtani never reached the playoffs in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.

An electronic sign flashed “Welcome to the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani” in English and Japanese above the stage. Ohtani thanked controlling owner Mark Walter, team president Stan Kasten, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, general manager Brandon Gomes and manager Dave Roberts.

“Shohei is arguably the most-talented player who has ever played this game,” Friedman said, flanked by Ohtani and Walter. “One of our goals is to have baseball fans in Japan convert to Dodger blue.”

A unique two-way star as both a hitter and pitcher, the 29-year-old Japanese sensation left the Angels as a free agent after six years. He’s moving 30 miles up Interstate 5 after the Dodgers won out over the competition in a deal announced Dec. 11. He said he made his decision Dec. 8, on the eve of his announcement.

Ohtani also thanked the Angels during a news conference started shortly after 3 p.m. (8 a.m. Dec. 15 in Japan).

“It was a fun ride, a great ride,” he said. “I’ll never forget all the memories I have.”

The two-time AL MVP has a .274 batting average with 171 homers, 437 RBIs and 86 stolen bases along with a 39-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings. Ohtani has 34.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference.

Ohtani’s unusual contract calls for annual salaries of $70 million and of each year’s salary, $68 million is deferred with no interest, payable in equal installments each July 1 from 2034-43. It lowered the annual charge to the Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll to about $46 million, lowering their competitive balance tax.

“I figured if I can defer as money as I can, if that’s going to help the CBT and that’s going help the Dodgers be able to sign better players and make a better team, I felt like that was worth it,” he said.

Ohtani can opt out of the deal if either Walter or Friedman no longer is with the team, a person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms were not announced.

“Everybody has to be on the same page in order to have a winning organization,” Ohtani said. “I feel like those two are at the top of it and they’re in control of everything. And I feel almost like I’m having a contract with those two guys. And I feel like if one of them are gone … things might get a little out of control so I just wanted a safety net.”

The Guardians are reuniting with Austin Hedges, agreeing with the popular veteran catcher on a $4 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Dec. 10.

Hedges, who played in Cleveland from 2020-22, will sign the contract once he passes a physical, said the person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be finalized until the medical tests are completed.

The Guardians made two moves with their catching on Dec. 10, trading Christian Bethancourt to the Miami Marlins. Cleveland, which claimed Bethancourt off waivers on Nov. 6, will receive cash considerations in the deal.

Although he’s not much of a hitter, Hedges is solid defensively and perhaps most importantly, he’s a clubhouse leader. The Guardians missed his presence last season and especially having him as an influence for younger players.

Hedges finished last season winning a World Series with the Texas Rangers. He got one at-bat against Arizona and struck out.

He’ll be an asset to new Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt, who like Hedges, was a journeyman catcher.

The 31-year-old Hedges batted .184 (34 for 185) with Pittsburgh and Texas last season. The Rangers acquired him before the trade deadline and he wound up pitching in four games, posting a 4.91 ERA in 3 2/3 innings.

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.

In terms of his marketability, experts point to another name.

The real comparison? Try Taylor Swift.

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.

“He’s rocketed into a stratosphere all his own,” sports agent Leigh Steinberg said.

Ohtani was expected to sign the biggest deal in MLB history as a free agent this offseason and didn’t disappoint. He’s the sport’s best two-way player ever — not even Babe Ruth hit and pitched at the same time so effectively — and though he won’t be able to pitch in 2024 following Tommy John surgery, he should provide plenty of value at the plate before he returns to the mound in 2025.

But the $700 million price tag was more than most imagined.

His $70 million average salary is 62% above the previous high of about $43.3 million, shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with deals they struck with the New York Mets. Ohtani’s average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3 million he earned over six seasons with the Angels. It also exceeds the entire payrolls of Baltimore and Oakland this year.

The reason the Dodgers made that kind of commitment is simple: It’s probably worth it. Not just because he could help win World Series, but because of the value he brings even if he doesn’t.

“If Ohtani is marketed right, he’s a globally iconic player,” said Mike Lewis, a professor of marketing at Emory University who specializes in sports business. “It could be like something from Formula One, where you’ve got the attention of the whole world. Baseball has sometimes struggled to gain national attention, but he’s the kind of guy who attacts millions of eyeballs, and not just from the U.S.”

The Dodgers haven’t had trouble attracting eyeballs over the past several years. They’re a perennially successful franchise — winning the NL West 10 of the past 11 seasons and the World Series in 2020 — and averaged more than 47,000 fans per game last year, best in the sport. They’ve doled out big money to stars like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw.

But nothing compares to Ohtani.

Lewis — the Emory professor — said the spike in interest could be comparable to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, which saw a massive jump in online interaction, particularly on Instagram, after Messi signed.

As of Dec. 10, the Dodgers’ Instagram account had 3.2 million followers. Ohtani on his own has 6.3 million.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The average fan understands that Ohtani will generate revenue with more tickets, concessions and jerseys sold.

But no player drives more interest internationally, especially in Ohtani’s native Japan, with a baseball-obsessed population of 126 million. Ohtani already has a deep group of sponsors targeting audiences on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, including New Balance, ASICS and Porsche Japan.

For the Dodgers, his international appeal means more companies in the U.S. and abroad are interested in advertising — Japanese companies frequently paid for prime ad spaces around Angel Stadium when Ohtani was in Anaheim. That alone brings a cascade of cash that could pay off a significant portion of Ohtani’s deal.

For the creative folks in the advertising industry, the possibilities are almost endless.

That’s where the Swift comparisons come into play.

Swift was a dominant force in 2023, partly because of “The Eras Tour” that sold out shows from coast to coast. But then she took it to the next level, developing a film of that tour that brought in millions of more fans to theaters throughout the country. Fans obsess over her every move on social media, including her budding romance with NFL star Travis Kelce.

Ohtani is potentially the same type of superstar. His free agency generated the sort of online sleuthing and hysteria usually associated with the Swifties, with fans frantically tracking private plane movements and alleged sightings trying ascertain which of his suitors would land Ohtani. Like Swift, Ohtani also starred a documentary this year — his was produced by ESPN.

There’s also the fact that among athletes, he’s fairly low risk. He hasn’t had a hint of controversy through his career, producing a squeaky clean image that any potential advertiser can get behind. In fact, fans know surprisingly little about his personal life — something that only seems to add intrigue.

Steinberg — the retired agent — said that he’s certain every MLB team interested in Ohtani did a revenue forecast to estimate the amount of money Ohtani would generate, even before he touches the field. If the Dodgers were willing to pay $700 million to land him, he’s confident they did their homework.

Monster homers. Potential dominance on the mound. It’s a Hollywood script that the Dodgers are hoping comes true.

“He’s handsome and he’s a huge box office draw,” Steinberg said. “There are very few players who can match that. He has appeal to all.”

NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani agreed Dec. 9 to a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The deal was announced after days of speculation over where the two-way star would continue his career after six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.

“This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player,” Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, said in a statement. “He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success.”

Ohtani’s total was 64% higher than baseball’s previous record, a $426.5 million, 12-year deal for Angels outfielder Mike Trout that began in 2019.

His $70 million average salary is 62% above the previous high of $43,333,333, shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with deals they struck when signing with the New York Mets. Ohtani’s average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3 million he earned with the Angels. It also exceeds the entire payrolls of Baltimore and Oakland this year.

His agreement includes unprecedented deferred money that will lower the amount it counts toward the Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details were not announced.

This is perhaps the largest contract in sports history, topping highs believed to be set by soccer stars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.

There was no immediate comment by the Dodgers. Ohtani has not spoken with reporters since Aug. 9.

“I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision,” Ohtani said in an English-language statement on Instagram. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process. Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.”

“And to all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself,” he added. “Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.”

Ohtani’s decision came six years and one day after he first agreed to his deal with Angels.

Ohtani has redefined modern baseball since he chose the Angels as his first major league team. Nobody has come close to matching his simultaneous achievements at the plate and on the mound, becoming one of the majors’ elite players in both roles whenever healthy. Along the way, he’s become one of the most marketable athletes in the world, sure to boost ticket sales, TV ratings and sponsorship revenues wherever he goes.

He was a unanimous AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 — he finished second in 2022 — winning this year despite injuring his elbow in late August and an oblique muscle in early September.

Ahead of his 30th birthday on July 5, he has a .274 average with 171 homers, 437 RBIs and 86 stolen bases along with a 39-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings. Ohtani has 34.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference.

The Halos are a perennial also-ran, both in the AL standings and in the Los Angeles market, but they won Ohtani’s services in late 2017 partly by promising him the freedom to train and to play however he wanted. Ohtani immediately dazzled the entire sport in 2018, batting .285 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs as a designated hitter and going 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts.

Ohtani won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2018 despite making just one pitching appearance after early June due to an injured elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery following the season. Ohtani made just two mound appearances in the next two years while continuing to play as the Angels’ DH.

When his arm was finally healthy in 2021, Ohtani put together a season for the ages.

He won the AL MVP award with 46 homers and 100 RBIs at the plate while going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA on the mound. He improved as a pitcher in 2022, going 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP while still driving in 95 runs at the plate, but finished behind Aaron Judge in the MVP voting after the Yankees star hit an AL record 62 homers.

After winning the MVP award in the World Baseball Classic last March while leading Japan to victory — he struck out Trout to end the tournament — Ohtani maintained his two-way magnificence this year, hitting 44 homers with a career-high 1.066 OPS while going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA before tearing his elbow ligament again on Aug. 23. He didn’t hit after Sept. 3 because of the strained right oblique.

Along with his elbow injuries, Ohtani’s transcendent success has come with another significant damper: He has never made the playoffs or even played on a winning team in the majors. Owner Arte Moreno’s Angels haven’t won more than 80 games or finished higher than third in the AL West during his tenure alongside Trout, a three-time AL MVP, and a perennially disappointing cast of supporting players.

Ohtani earned $42,269,259 in his six seasons with the Angels. After receiving a signing bonus of $2,315,000 with his initial deal, he had salaries of $545,000, $650,000, $259,259 (in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season), $3 million, $5.5 million and $30 million.

NEW YORK — Juan Soto’s arrival is a sign the New York Yankees want stars to help them rebound from their worst season in three decades — a move right out of late owner George Steinbrenner’s playbook.

“We certainly want to try under the Steinbrenner leadership to make this the mecca of baseball,” general manager Brian Cashman said Dec. 7, a day after acquiring the three-time All-Star outfielder from San Diego in a seven-player trade. “George Steinbrenner always felt that the best players in the world should play here for the New York Yankees.

“Hal Steinbrenner and Jenny and Jessica have continued those efforts,” Cashman added, referring to the controlling owner’s sisters. “Juan Soto is the latest example of that, of their efforts to try to bring the greatest, most talented baseball players the world can provide to play and call home here in the Bronx.”

New York also got Gold Glove center fielder Trent Grisham in exchange for right-handed pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe along with catcher Kyle Higashioka.

Soto, who turned 25 in October, hit .275 with 35 homers, 109 RBIs and a .930 OPS in his only full season with the Padres and joins a batting order that includes Aaron Judge. Cashman likened pairing Soto with Judge to a card game.

“The great thing about the crazy eights is that one’s right-handed, one’s left-handed,” he said. “And so that creates a tougher lineup to navigate for the opposing pitchers.”

Judge will see considerable time in center field rather than right until rookie Jasson Domínguez returns from Tommy John surgery, likely in June or July. Judge was limited to 106 games last season by a strained right hip and then a sprained right big toe he hurt slamming into the Dodger Stadium wall to make a catch. His absence from the lineup factored into the Yankees going 82-80 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

“We think he’s fine. We think he’s resolved. We think that that issue’s behind him,” Cashman said. “If opening day was today, he would certainly be running out there in center, which I know he loves. I think if you put truth serum in him, that’s what he’d want to do, regardless.”

Soto was obtained by San Diego from Washington in August 2022 after declining a $440 million, 15-year offer from the Nationals. He is in line for a salary of about $32 million in his last season of arbitration eligibility and can become a free agent after next year’s World Series.

“The future is always now,” Cashman said. “So ’24 is our focus and trying to become that last team standing once again as we’ve done in years gone by.”

Cashman said he hasn’t spoken with Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, about a long-term deal. New York hopes Soto’s presence will help attract Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a free agent the Yankees will meet with in California next week.

“Onboarding pitching is going to be important,” Cashman said.

Conversations with San Diego began ahead of last summer’s trade deadline, along with talks to land outfielder Alex Verdugo from Boston in a deal finalized Dec. 5. The negotiations with the Padres resumed at the general managers’ meetings last month. Negotiations were slowed by the death of San Diego owner Peter Seidler and San Diego’s manager search.

Keeping Domínguez and shortstop Anthony Volpe out of a trade was a priority for the Yankees.

“But it didn’t stop them from asking,” Cashman said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Major League teams stocked up on pitching Dec. 6 in the big league phase of the winter meeting draft of unprotected players, taking pitchers with eight of the 10 selections — including three from the New York Yankees’ system.

The Yankees lost a pair of right-handers in first two picks, with Oakland taking Mitch Spence and Kansas City selecting Matt Sauer. Texas, fresh off its first World Series victory, took right-hander Carson Coleman from the Yankees with the No. 23 selection.

The Guardians selected third baseman Deyvison De Los Santos from Arizona. He hit 50 home runs in three seasons and was ranked as the Diamondbacks fifth-best prospect.

Washington drafted shortstop Nasim Nunez from the Florida Marlins’ system.

Nationals General manager Mike Rizzo wants to see what manager Dave Martinez can do even with the challenge that the infielder from the Bronx likely won’t get a lot chances to bat at the big league level. Rizzo wants his coaches to iron out some mechanical issues with Nunez, 23, adding strength and flexibility.

“He gives Davey an option off the bench a defensive replacement, elite defensive skills and a base runner, base stealer and a guy that can help us win games at the big league level,” Rizzo said.

Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion of what it called the Rule 5 draft. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000.

The Athletics plan on giving Spence every chance to make the roster as a starter. General manager Dave Forst said there’s always a chance Spence winds up in the bullpen if no rotation spot is available.

“But we’ll give him every opportunity to make the team,” Forst said.

Spence, 25, was a 10th-round pick by the Yankees in the 2019 amateur draft out of South Carolina Aiken. The native of Kirkland, Washington, spent this season in Triple-A in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a 4.35 ERA.

“We’re not looking at his ERA,” Forst said. “There’s enough information now to break down his pitches his swing-and-miss stuff, his other metrics.”

The Chicago White Sox took left-hander Shane Drohan at No. 4 from the Boston system. Drohan was a fifth-round pick in 2020 out of Florida State, and White Sox general manager Chris Getz said they have some history with Drohan from his time with the Seminoles.

Drohan spent time at Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester in 2023.

“We got some early spring training looks on him this year, and we liked what we saw,” Getz said. “An opportunity to take a shot on an arm we feel has the potential to have some survival skills at the major level to begin with and long-term, a little bit of upside that could potentially be a rotation piece.”

The New York Mets took right-hander Justin Slaten from the Rangers’ system at No. 8, then traded him to Boston for minor league lefty Ryan Ammons.

Slaten, 26, had a 2.7 ERA at Double-A and Triple-A for the Rangers this year. Texas took him in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft., The Mets got Ammons, 22, who was a 10th-round pick in July’s amateur draft out of Clemson.

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.