The Dodgers’ priority this winter was to add an ace to their starting rotation. They got their man on Tuesday. Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner and one of the top free-agent pitchers on the market this offseason,

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.

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.