Chicago White Sox sign free agent Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Chicago White Sox have signed free agent Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami.
According to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan, the White Sox are in agreement with infielder Munetaka Murakami on a two-year deal worth $34MM.
BREAKING: Third baseman Munetaka Murakami and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $34 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Murakami, 25, is the single-season home run champion in Japan and will bring his prodigious power to a rebuilding White Sox team.
Murakami, 26 in February, arrives in the majors as perhaps the most anticipated NPB hitter to move stateside since Shohei Ohtani.
Munetaka Murakami is expected to play first base for the White Sox. With Murakami, Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidroth -- and Braden Montgomery not far behind -- the White Sox's young bats have a chance to be quite good in the coming years.
The slugger set an NPB record with 56 home runs in a single season at 22 years old, and he continued to make an international name for himself with Team Japan during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
A career .270/.394/.557 hitter across 892 Central League games for the Yakult Swallows, Murakami boasts true 80-grade power that could completely change an up-and-coming White Sox lineup that already includes highly regarded youngsters like Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel.
"The White Sox are believing and hoping that Munetaka Murakami grows along with that young core..."
Murakami expected to play first base and provide some power to an otherwise anemic lineup
That combination of power and unusual youth for a free agent led many to believe that Murakami would be able to secure one of the most lucrative contracts of the offseason.
Few teams were publicly connected to the slugger, and reports from all corners of the baseball world indicated that teams were feeling gun-shy about his contact rate in NPB, which would've been the lowest in baseball in the majors last year if carried over.
Murakami took a short-term deal that will offer him a healthy annual guarantee that's on par with the AAV of the five-year deal Murakami's countryman Seiya Suzuki signed with the Cubs across town five years ago.
That comes with just two guaranteed years in the majors, but if Murakami is able to establish himself he'll head into free agency ahead of his age-28 season.
That should leave him in line for a far more substantial payday during the 2027-28 offseason, should he prove himself capable as the sort of middle-of-the-order power bat he has the potential to be.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 21 | 91 ANSWERS Chicago White Sox sign free agent Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami Was signing free agent slugger Munetaka Murakami a good move by the Chicago White Sox? | ||
| Yes | 66 | 72.5 % |
| No | 7 | 7.7 % |
| Too early to tell | 18 | 19.8 % |
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