On December 21, a day before his MLB posting deadline, ESPN reported, citing sources, that the Chicago White Sox inked Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34 million contract.
Murakami lands in a major market and a no-pressure situation with the White Sox, who will be patient with him as he transitions from Japan to the majors. Nonetheless, if there’s one thing Chicago hope translates to the MLB game, it’s the 25-year-old’s power.
The new White Sox player hit 246 home runs in his eight seasons for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Moreover, home runs were a significant weakness for the Chicago lineup in 2025, as the team ranked in the bottom 10 with 165 home runs, per Baseball Reference.
With Murakami now in the fold, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden shared his thoughts on the Japanese star opting to sign with the White Sox on a short-term deal.
“He doesn’t profile to be a two or three-hole hitter, but he might be a five-hole hitter,” Bowden said during a December 21 appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “Worst case, a six-hole hitter that hits you 35 home runs, hits 220, and strikes out 200 times. That’s probably what he sounds like. But for the White Sox, where they are in rebuilding, with Colson Montgomery, it’s short.
“I don’t know if Murakami is going to play third or first. I’m guessing [that], because of Miguel Garcia, he probably starts at third base, and they find out if he’s good enough to stay over there. But they just added some serious juice to that team.”
MLB Teams Were Scared of Munetaka Murakami
Bowden also explained why teams were cautious about committing to a long-term deal with Murakami. Despite the power he displayed and MLB teams’ always-welcoming attitude toward guys who can hit the ball out of the ballpark, Murakami had red flags, which is why his signing came on the eve of his posting deadline.
“He’s young enough, which is why it works for the White Sox at 25 years old,” Bowden noted. “There’s a lot of swing and miss in the game… His career on-base percentage in eight years in Japan, 394, with 265 home runs.
“Now, what is the problem? Why wasn’t there more offers? Why didn’t he get the longer-term deal? According to several GMs who I spoke with during the winter meetings, it’s the 1,068 strikeouts in 3,500 [at-bats]. It’s the Dave Kingman comp that some teams have for him. It’s the complete [fear] that he’ll miss too many bats here.”
White Sox Star Munetaka Murakami Is Betting on Himself
The report from ESPN does reveal that several clubs explored the idea of locking Murakami into a long-term contract at a reduced price. Instead, Murakami chose a shorter deal with a higher annual value, giving a chance to show an ability to adapt against top-level MLB pitching.
If that plan works, Murakami would return to free agency at age 27, positioned to land a massive contract. That approach mirrors recent cases where players navigated quieter markets, bet on themselves with short-term agreements, and later secured long-term financial rewards.
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