Indeed, the Dodgers have become such a desirable location that players are structuring contracts to ensure the team remains one. Shohei Ohtani famously took a salary of $2 million annually while deferring the rest of the biggest contract in the history of North American sports.

The Snell contract brings the franchise’s deferred compensation ledger to nearly $1 billion – $962 million – far outpacing the rest of the league and infuriating fans of the 29 other teams. Ohtani is deferring $680 million of his record-breaking $700 million contract.

Snell’s five-year, $182 million contract reportedly includes approximately $65 million in deferred salary – the Dodgers’ latest use of the technique in negotiation big-money deals.