Deadlines spark action, and with teams reluctant to give Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami the long-term, nine-figure commitment many originally projected, the Chicago White Sox pounced on the boom-or-bust opportunity to add the 25-year-old corner infielder whose ceiling is as high as any slugger’s on the market.
Twenty-four hours before his posting window closed, Murakami and the rebuilding White Sox reportedly agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal. The polarizing Nippon Professional Baseball star, who will turn 26 in February, brings with him prodigious power potential.
Murakami launched 246 home runs in eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows after debuting at 18 years old. In 2022, he hit 56 home runs as a 22-year-old, breaking Sadaharu Oh’s single-season NPB record for a Japanese-born player. Last season, an oblique injury limited Murakami to 56 games; he still blasted 22 home runs in that time.
But there’s a reason the White Sox were able to get him at this number.
Murakami was widely viewed as a high-risk, high-reward option in free agency due to his high whiff rate and limited defensive range at third base, which may necessitate a full-time move to first base or designated hitter. The short-term pact helps alleviate the risk for the White Sox, who ranked 23rd in home runs and 28th in slugging percentage last season, and will allow Murakami to retest the market in his late-20s.
By then, he hopes he will have demonstrated his ability to handle big-league pitching.
What’s next for the White Sox
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
We’re still likely years from the White Sox returning to contention, but after back-to-back last-place finishes, there are reasons to be excited about the young talent accumulating on the South Side.
The White Sox need more proven pitching both in the rotation and the bullpen this winter, and questions about whether Luis Robert Jr. gets dealt still loom, but you can see a clearer pathway now toward future success.
They have two promising catchers in Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero, an infielder in Colson Montgomery who just launched 21 homers in his first 71 MLB games, an All-Star pitcher in Shane Smith among a group of intriguing young arms (which will soon include top pitching prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith), the top overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft (standout UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is widely considered the best player available) and now one of the most fascinating young sluggers in the game in Murakami, who will give fans a reason to watch no matter how the 2026 season goes.
What’s next for Murakami
(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
This may be the most interesting MLB player to watch over the next two years, considering the range of possibilities ahead for the left-handed slugger.
Murakami hits the ball extremely hard and has consistently been among NPB’s most feared power hitters. But he hasn’t been able to replicate his record-setting 2022 season — he hit 31 homers in 2023, 33 in 2024 and 22 in 2025 — and has seen his whiff rate rise concerningly since then. His tremendous raw power comes with a strikeout rate that has hovered above 28% each of the last three seasons; the MLB average last year was a tick above 22%.
Given his defensive limitations, his power has to translate for him to realize his sky-high ceiling. If he demonstrates that he can adjust to MLB velocity and the nastier stuff he’ll see on a consistent basis, in two years he could get the nine-figure contract he was unable to secure this offseason.
What’s next with the corner infield and NPB markets
(Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)
This signing had to happen now with Murakami’s posting window closing. The other NPB standout infielder to watch over the next couple of weeks is Kazuma Okamoto.
Okamoto, who is also a corner infielder, is four years older than Murakami and doesn’t offer the same superstar ceiling; but he might have a higher floor. Okamoto had as many walks (33) as strikeouts (33) and hit 15 homers with a .327 batting average in 69 NPB games this year. He hit at least 30 home runs every year from 2018-23. His posting window ends on Jan. 4. Star NPB pitcher Tatsuya Imai’s window ends two days before that, so both could sign soon.
With Murakami, Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Naylor off the board, the market for established corner infielders is dwindling. Alex Bregman stands out as the top third baseman available as he seeks the long-term deal he was unable to land last winter. Eugenio Suárez, who had 49 home runs in an All-Star 2025 season, and Okamoto stand out as the next-best options at the position. Cody Bellinger and 2025 All-Star Ryan O’Hearn are the top first basemen still on the board, and both bring positional flexibility with outfield experience.
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.
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