The plot of Munetaka Murakami‘s novel is already underway, and it will surely end with the Japanese slugger’s move to Major League Baseball in the current free agent market. The question at this point is where will he play next season, as the 25-year-old is considered in specialist circles to be the next Asian star in MLB.
Murakami will seek to take advantage of the Japanese boom unleashed by Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Seiya Suzuki, who have been in the spotlight recently with exceptional performances. This has logically raised expectations for the young slugger, who has hit 265 home runs in the Japanese circuit since his debut in 2018.
The big fish in the market are watching closely for news on Murakami and are studying their offers, which must be officially made before December 22. However, in this case, the first baseman and third baseman may choose a destination where he is guaranteed a starting spot.
Yankees and Dodgers are not the clearest options
Although they are always among the favorites in any negotiation, this time the Yankees and Dodgers may not get fully involved in the bidding for Murakami, which will surely end with a significant financial outlay.
The Angels, recently crowned, have the corners of the infield covered with Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, while as a designated hitter they have Ohtani. Adding Murakami would imply an overbooking for Dave Roberts, more in need of reinforcements in the bullpen, the outfield and probably second base.
The Bronx Bombers, on the other hand, although they have doubts at first and third base, could focus their efforts in this free agency on strengthening their rotation, bullpen and outfield. Ben Rice is a potential starter at first base, while Ryan McMahon will be given an opportunity as a third baseman from the start of the campaign.
Mets and Mariners, two ideal destinations
In Seattle, they were on the verge of the first World Series in their history, so they will not lose momentum to seek the promised land again. And it is precisely the corners of the infield that are two of the holes marked by the team led by Dan Wilson, considering that Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez were free agents.
This will force the Mariners to be aggressive in the market, especially to take advantage of the winning momentum generated around Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Jorge Polanco, Randy Arozarena and a talented young pitching staff. Murakami would fit perfectly into this ecosystem, where the potential of Japanese players is highly valued because of the legacy left by Ichiro Suzuki.
The other big candidate to sign Murakami is the Mets. Pete Alonso’s seemingly definitive departure leaves the first baseman’s spot vacant and also raises questions in the lineup, which is in need of another long-range hitter to produce runs. The Japanese has just that profile and would form a terrifying left-handed trio with Francisco Lindor (switch-hitter) and Juan Soto.
The other competition
A baseball player of Murakami’s characteristics does not have a limited market. Although the Mets and Mariners are clear options, other teams will also fight to acquire the slugger’s services. The Red Sox, Giants, Phillies and Cubs will not throw in the towel so easily, either because of the Japanese player’s talent or because of their squads’ needs.
The Phillies, for example, are exposed to the perhaps definitive departure of Kyle Schwarber, the team’s absolute home run leader, while the Red Sox did not find stability at first base during 2025 and now do not know if they will be able to bring back Alex Bregman for third base.
In San Francisco, they would not mind keeping Murakami and thus avoiding Rafael Devers being forced to make the transition to first base. Meanwhile, the Cubs will almost certainly lose Kyle Tucker, so it would be very easy to find a spot for the Japanese in the lineup.
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