In response to Shohei Ohtani’s $680 million deferral request, the Dodgers reportedly said: “Holy f***,”

The baseball world was taken aback by Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason. The Dodgers were allegedly taken aback as well.

Before Ohtani’s Dodgers debut in South Korea on Wednesday, a Tom Verducci-written Sports Illustrated feature on the two-way phenom provided fresh insight into how his contract came together a few months prior. Specifically, it revealed how the decision was made to postpone $680 million until after the contract’s expiration.

There isn’t a structure like this in baseball. Because Ohtani’s contract is so team-friendly, there have been discussions about whether MLB should take action to address what many have labeled a loophole when a player agrees to an IOU for 97% of his salary money. To increase the competitiveness of his new squad, the player came up with the most ridiculous concept that could only have originated from him.

Two days prior to the deal’s announcement, on December 7, Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman was briefed by Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, according to SI. Verducci was informed by Friedman that he instantly thought of the term “Deal!” and that, when the call ended, a few more words also sprang to mind:

The Dodgers will give Ohtani $2 million this year instead of the $70 million average yearly worth of his contract. Next year, and each year after that, up to 2033, an additional $2 million. Then, they will give him an annual salary of $68 million, perhaps in the expectation that Ohtani’s income sources will have already made sure he has paid for himself.