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.

Is the World Series champions’ plucking of another starting pitcher bad for baseball? Or should other organizations just try harder?

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.