What has long been expected with Munetaka Murakami now appears to be coming to fruition this weekend, which adds another layer to MLB free agency.
Murakami just completed an eighth season in Nippon Professional Baseball, all of which have come with the Yakult 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.
Now, the 25-year-old is on the verge of getting posted by the Swallows for MLB free agency, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan:
Japanese star third baseman Munetaka Murakami is entering the posting system Friday, officially starting the process of one of the most anticipated free agencies of the winter, sources told ESPN.
Murakami broke the home run record for a Japanese player in NPB when he slugged 56 in 2022. It surpassed Sadaharu Oh’s record of 55 home runs that he set in 1964.
That same season saw Murakami win the Triple Crown, becoming the youngest player in NPB history to do so at the age of 22. Murakami has hit 246 home runs across his eight seasons with the Swallows.
He’s primarily a third baseman but does have some experience at first base as well. With respect to his MLB future, some have wondered if Murakami would be better suited at first base for the long term.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been connected to Murakami at various points over recent years, not just because of their on-field success as back-to-back World Series champions, but also due to seemingly establishing a foothold in Japan behind the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
Murakami wore a Dodgers cap in a picture that was posted to social media this past January.
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.
Munetaka Murakami posting window & fee
Multiple reports indicate Murakami’s 45-day window to negotiate and sign with an MLB team is scheduled to start at 5 a.m. PT Saturday. Thus, the deadline for Murakami to sign a deal in free agency then is going to be 2 p.m. PT on Monday, Dec. 22.
If he has not agreed to a deal with a club by that point, Murakami’s posting window will expire and he will return to the Swallows.
Under the MLB posting system, a team that signs Murakami will need 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.
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