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

Snell, 31, will join a ridiculously talented Dodgers rotation in 2025 that includes Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, with Clayton Kershaw also expected to re-sign with the team and suit up at some point.

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.