How’s this for a payday: Japanese baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani has signed a US$700 million/10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers – it’s easily the biggest contract in American sports history. The next closest was for Patrick Mahomes, an NFL quarterback who scored a $450 million/10-year deal in 2021. As for why there’s so much fuss around Ohtani, his agent called him “a unique, historic player”, referring to the fact that he’s simultaneously one of the best batters and pitchers in the sport. Usually players are lucky to be one or the other. Ohtani’s star power also makes him a guaranteed ticket-seller, and an opportunity for the team to score new fans in Japan… In his Instagram post announcing the decision, Ohtani said, “I apologise for taking so long to come to a decision” and that he would “always do what’s best” for his new team. He might like to start by shouting his new teammates a round at the bar – or a car…