Shohei Ohtani's $2 million salary pales in comparison to Chicago Cubs players

Shohei Ohtani's monstrous $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers will see him earn just $2 million a year, making his annual paycheck less than a lot of Chicago Cubs players.

The vast majority of Ohtani's deal - $680 million to be exact - will be dished out by the Dodgers over a 10-year period from 2033-2043. Ohtani agreed to the annual salary of $2 million to offer Los Angeles financial flexibility for the next decade as their payroll is already the highest in Major League Baseball. This is a noble act that will likely pay off in the short term for the team while Ohtani will be comically underpaid and make less money than most relief pitchers in the game today.

Here are five Chicago Cubs players who will make more money than Shohei Ohtani in 2024.

1. Patrick Wisdom: $2.725 million

Back in November, the Cubs announced they had avoided arbitration with Patrick Wisdom and agreed to bring back the slugging third baseman on a $2.725 million deal. Wisdom did not start every day in 2023 because he had to share playing time with Nick Madrigal and Jeimer Candelario, but he was still able to smack 23 home runs on the year.

While Wisdom's power is fantastic and his defense isn't shabby, the 32-year-old's peripheral numbers are fairly below average. The on-base percentage of .289 and strikeout percentage of 36.8% are particularly ugly. His role on the 2024 team will likely be similar to how it was in 2023, meaning a role-playing former journeyman third baseman will make more money than the most talented baseball player on the planet next year.