Chicago White Sox Bolster Roster with Japanese Hitter Munetaka Murakami
The Chicago White Sox have finalized a two-year, $34 million deal with prominent Japanese hitter Munetaka Murakami, the team announced this Sunday. This addition represents a significant reinforcement for the team’s offense. Murakami, 25, entered the posting system on November 7th, opening a 45-day window for Major League teams to negotiate with the player. The deadline to finalize the agreement was this Monday at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Upon turning 25 and accumulating eight seasons in Japan’s Professional Baseball League (NPB), Murakami was not subject to international bonus restrictions. However, he still had to go through the posting system as he had not reached the nine campaigns needed to declare himself a free agent.Murakami was Most Valuable Player in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, participated in four All-Star Games, won the Rookie of the Year award, and led his team to the championship in 2021. Since his professional debut in 2018, at the age of 18, Murakami has hit 246 home runs, with five seasons of at least 30 home runs. In his career in Japan, he recorded an offensive line of .270/.394/.557, with an OPS of .951 in 892 games. With this signing, the White Sox seek to revitalize their lineup with Japanese power, expecting an immediate impact in the heart of the offensive order for the next two seasons.Considered one of the most feared hitters in Japanese baseball, Murakami developed his entire career in the NPB with the Yakult Swallows, the team with which he established himself as a superstar.
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