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How Shohei Ohtani’s ‘unprecedented’ contract will help the Dodgers build their roster

There’s almost no such thing as a $700 million bargain in baseball.

Then again ...

By agreeing to a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract with Shohei Ohtani on Saturday, the Dodgers both added a two-time MVP to their star-studded roster and structured the contract — thanks largely to Ohtani’s decision to take an unprecedented amount of deferred money — in a way that should allow them to pursue more impact additions this offseason and beyond.

“The deferrals were primarily about allowing the team to be successful on the field,” said one person with knowledge of the contract who was not unauthorized to speak publicly about the agreement.