Munetaka Murakami entered the season as one of the most impressive names on the free agent market. He came in at No. 4 on our annual list of the Top 50 MLB Free Agents. Despite Murakami’s huge potential in NPB, the reported interest in the young slugger was minimal as the winter wore on. The White Sox and Red Sox were among the most well-known sculptors. Murakami eventually went to Chicago for a two-year, $34MM contract.
The Diamondbacks were among the teams interested in Murakami, reports John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports. Gambadoro added that the former Japanese star “one of the few Asian players” the Diamondbacks were thinking. He didn’t mention any other names, but the free agent market includes several notable players making the jump stateside, including Tatsuya Imai again Kazuma Okamoto. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco predicted Okamoto would sign with Arizona in the aforementioned Top 50 FAs piece.
Arizona’s connection to Murakami makes sense given the state of the club’s home turf. First baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suarez were dealt to Seattle in separate deals at the trade deadline. That went away Pavin Smith again Tyler Locklear (who came in the Suarez trade) to handle most of the first base reps. Blaze Alexander came in as a third baseman.
High hopes Jordan Lawler it is scheduled to enter the hot corner in 2026, but the starting point is a question mark. Locklear underwent surgery on his left elbow and shoulder in October. He is a candidate to start the season on the injured list. That leaves Smith and help Tim Tawa like the current options at the beginning. Arizona finished with the 5th lowest OPS in the area last season. With Murakami off the board, the club could look to pursue at least a right-handed complement to Smith, and perhaps an overall upgrade.
On the playing side, Gambadoro said he expects the team to look to the immediate market. Arizona will be without top closers Justin Martinez again AJ Puk for most of the season. Both surgeons underwent Tommy John surgery in June. The current close mix is an unmotivated group that includes Andrew Saalfrank, Ryan Thompsonagain Kevin Ginkel.
Arizona’s bullpen ranked 25th in xFIP and 28th in SIERA last season. The club had a record 17 pitchers in 2025. Shelby Miller led the way with 10 saves. He was dealt to Milwaukee at the trade deadline. The Diamondbacks had four saves in the final month of the season, and they went to four different pitchers (Jake Woodford, Taylor Rashi, Kyle Backhus, John Curtiss).
Martinez and Puk won’t be out forever, so Arizona doesn’t need a long-term solution. The foreclosure market is starting to narrow, but there are still a few experienced foreclosure options available. Seranthony Dominguez, Ryan Presslyor Chad Green would make sense as short-term intimates who have been tap men in the past. Arizona’s Opening Day closer will likely get behind Martinez and Puk once they return, so experience in the 7th and 8th innings would be helpful.
Elsewhere in the NL West, the former Giants quarterback Jae-gyun Hwang announced his retirement (h/t to JP Hoornstra of The Big Lead). Hwang spent the last eight seasons with the KT Wiz of the KBO. He has been in professional baseball since 2007.
Hwang made the jump to MLB in 2017 after ten years in the KBO. He signed a contract to separate from Zimnyama in January of that year. Hwang posted respectable results in Triple-A, hitting .285 with 10 home runs and seven steals in 98 games. He has had several stints with the big league club, with poor results. Hwang went 8-for-52 in 18 games with the Giants. He made his MLB debut, catching Kyle Freeland deep in his third career at-bat.
Hwang was undrafted in September 2017. After his one season with the Giants, the Wiz lured him back to the KBO with a four-year, $7.9MM deal. He was the best hitter at the time of the deal and remained efficient throughout his career, including a 94 wRC+ as a 37-year-old in his final season.
We at MLBTR wish Hwang the best in his future endeavors beyond baseball.
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
