If often feels like when a big-name Japanese free agent is coming to MLB, a few teams quickly emerge as the favorites.
With Munetaka Murakami, it doesn’t quite feel like that.
He’s clearly a desired free agent. He hit 56 home runs in 2022, which is the NPB record for a single season by a Japanese-born player.
Murakami can likely play either third base or first base at the MLB level.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan laid out the case for a lot of teams landing Murakami on Tuesday. He suggests the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs as potentially the couple favorites while also acknowledging that it’s pretty wide open.
“The Yankees have a history of highly valuing exit velocity and age when it comes to acquiring players, so they’re one of the rumored potential landing spots more because of their expected evaluation of Murakami, rather than needing power in the lineup from a corner position per se,” Passan writes. “The Chicago Cubs make sense, as Murakami would join an influx of young hitters (Matt Shaw, Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcantara, Jonathon Long), while others either just entered free agency (Kyle Tucker) or are set to after next season (Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Nico Hoerner).”
Passan adds that the Giants, Astros and Blue Jays could get involved for Murakami, who he projects to get a $94 million investment between contract and posting fee.
He compares Murakami to Brent Rooker as the optimistic outcome, with a possible Joey Gallo or Spencer Torkelson outlook in play, too.
Murakami will be a win for whoever signs him, but there will still be suspense as to how he translates from NPB to MLB.
