The White Sox agree to a pitcher Munetaka Murakami on a two-year contract worth $34MM, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Passan added that Murakami is expected to play first place in Chicago.
Murakami, 26 in February, arrives in the majors as perhaps the most anticipated NPB hitter to move since then. Shohei Ohtani. The slugger set an NPB record with 56 home runs in a single season at the age of 22, and continued to make an international name for himself with Team Japan during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. A career .270/.394/.557 hitter in 892 games for the Central League Yakult Swallows, Murakami has true 80s power that could completely change a future White Sox lineup that already includes highly touted youngsters such as Colson Montgomery again Kyle Teel.
That combination of power and the unusual youth of a free agent leads many to believe that Murakami will be able to land one of the most lucrative contracts of the offseason. On MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list published earlier in the season, Murakami came in as the #4 free agent available with a projected $180MM contract over eight years. It was easy to imagine that at least one team would be willing to roll the dice on Murakami to lock him up for his prime, but teams have been more reluctant to commit to Murakami than expected. Few teams have been publicly linked to the slugger, and reports from all corners of the baseball world have indicated that teams feel embarrassed about his level of contact in the NPB, which would have been the lowest in baseball in the majors last year if it had been conducted.
Although teams weren’t willing to go to the high levels expected when Murakami was first sent out, it seems like he left guaranteed money on the table in taking this deal. Passan reports that other teams have tried to engage Murakami’s market by offering long-term deals with low annual salaries. That type of deal would have guaranteed Murakami a long road to recovery at the big league level, but it would have limited the upside available to him. Instead, he took a short-term deal that would give him a healthy annual guarantee that matches the AAV of a five-year contract. Seiya Suzuki signed with the Cubs across town five years ago.
That comes with just two guaranteed years in the majors, but if Murakami can settle in he’ll hit free agency before his age-28 season. That should leave him with the potential for a hefty payday in time for the 2027-28 season, if he can prove to be the type of middle power bat he has the potential to be. For a player looking to practice in the majors, it’s hard to imagine a more forgiving place than the south side of Chicago. The White Sox have averaged 108 losses per season over the past three years and posted arguably the worst season in MLB history going back to 2024. While young players like Montgomery and Teel have begun to make an impact on the big league roster, the team’s expectations will not be low at this point.
While any dreams Murakami may have had of hoisting a World Series trophy in his first season as a big leaguer may have been dashed by his decision to sign with the White Sox, playing on an unlikely team this year should allow him a low-pressure environment to make any changes to his game that may be necessary to increase his success without risking losing another player in his lineup. The White Sox seem to want Murakami to be able to focus on expanding his offense as much as possible, as the longtime NPB third baseman will move to first base in Chicago. Scouts have expressed doubts about the ability to handle the hot corner at the big league level, so a move to first base should put less pressure on Murakami to prove himself as a defender and allow him to fully focus on his work at the plate.
If Murakami can prove successful in the majors, he will help solidify the White Sox’s young hitting core. Montgomery and Teel both enjoyed dominant seasons in the middle last year, and will be joined on the roster by the likes of third baseman. Miguel Vargassecondary domain Chase Meidrothand handler/DH Edgar Quero who enjoyed seasons of the past year that made them look like strong parallel pieces for the future. Luis Robert Jr. it also figures to give the Sox some star power around Murakami if he’s healthy enough to handle something close to a full infield and stays with the team amid ongoing trade rumors.
Taken together, it’s easy to see Murakami as the highlight of an offseason that saw the White Sox take small steps toward returning to competition at the big league level. The NPB star isn’t the only player the White Sox are willing to add to the roster this winter; on the left Anthony Kay signed a two-year, $12MM contract after his successful stint in Japan, and the team is reportedly among the teams interested in the former Rays. Pete Fairbankslike that. That move is unlikely to put Chicago in a playoff spot on its own, especially in the competitive AL Central landscape where the Tigers and Guardians reached October when Kansas City put together a very difficult season of its own.
A quick final, however, will not be expected; It’s rare for a team to make the playoffs a year after a 100-game losing streak, less than two years after a 120-game losing streak. Instead, these additions should allow the White Sox to foster a more competitive environment in their young core as they seek the majors and, if things go well, build toward playoff contention in 2027 and beyond as the team’s fans just entered. rebuilding, which saw the club part ways with beloved players Lucas Giolito again Garrett Crochet.
These moves forward also allow the White Sox to shed payroll in the minor league. After Murakami’s signing, RosterResource projects the club to earn $84MM in salary in 2026, a figure that rises to about $102MM for luxury tax purposes. That nearly matches last year’s $85MM payroll and moves the White Sox out of the bottom five in the majors at this point. Of course, that number is still extremely modest and leaves plenty of room for a team in a big market like Chicago to add more salary, whether that’s a late-arriving arm like Fairbanks or a veteran starting pitcher who can help anchor the club’s rotation. Another thing to note is that the White Sox will pay postage to the Swallows for signing Murakami. Those shipping figures will come to about $6.6MM, given the limited total guarantee Murakami has made.
