Munetaka Murakami has officially been posted for MLB free agency as of Saturday morning at 5 a.m. PT by the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Teams have a 45-day window to negotiate with Murakami, making the deadline for him to sign 2 p.m. PT on Monday, Dec. 22. If Murakami has not signed by that point, he will return to the Swallows and stay in the NPB for at least one more season.
Any team that signs Murakami will be required to pay a fee to the Swallows that totals 20% for the first $25 million of a perspective contract, 17.5% for the next $25 million, and an additional 15% on every dollar above $50 million.
Murakami has long been expected to make the jump to MLB, and it’s been a highly-anticipated move. The 25-year-old features a power left-handed bat, grading out with 70 game power and 80 raw power on the 20-80 scale.
His contact rates are a concern, however, and Murakami has not fared well against high velocity. Given his profile, he could be a very boom-or-bust hitter with a low average and high slug.
That profile also represents the risk of not being able to hit MLB pitching consistently enough. Some potential outcomes for him are Nolan Gorman on the low-end, Joey Gallo in the 50th percentile outcome, and Adam Dunn on the higher-end of outcomes.
Murakami just completed an eighth season in the NPB, all of which have come with the Swallows. He was limited to just 56 games because of an oblique injury, but still batted .273/.379/.663 with 22 doubles and 47 RBI this year.
He has hit 246 home runs across his NPB career while hitting .270/.394/.557 with 647 RBI and 535 runs scored.
Murakami broke the home run record for a Japanese player in NPB when he slugged 56 in 2022, surpassing Sadaharu Oh’s record of 55 that he set in 1964.
Murakami also won the Triple Crown that season, becoming the youngest player in NPB history to do so at the age of 22.
He is primarily a third baseman, but there are significant concerns about his glove at the hot corner, so he will likely wind up at first base for his career. In addition to both corner infield spots, he has also seen minimal time in the outfield, but lacks the speed needed to cover ground.
Will the Dodgers be interested in Munetaka Murakami?
The Dodgers have been connected to Murakami over the past few years, but they don’t have a clean fit for him on their roster with Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Shohei Ohtani taking up corner infield and designated hitter spots.
Murakami did wear a Dodgers cap in a picture that was posted to social media this past January, which further fueled speculation.
But it seems unlikely the Dodges are the landing spot for Murakami given their current roster, unless they are willing to get creative to fit him on.
The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants are expected to have interest in the left-handed slugger as well.
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