Could White Sox be involved in “mystery” pursuit of Japanese star?

As MLB teams continue to scour the market for upgrades, the White Sox are no exception. The team has spent the early part of the offseason exploring upgrades to first base, outfield, the starting rotation, and the bullpen,  but so far hasn’t converted aside from the signing of lefty Anthony Kay. The market for first basemen is beginning to move, with Pete Alonso, Jorge Polanco, and Josh Bell coming off the board in the past several days. One name that’s been surprisingly quiet on the free agent market is that of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. 

Murakami, who will turn 26 prior to Opening Day, was posted by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in November and will sign with an MLB club this offseason. The slugging infielder his 265 home runs over the past eight seasons in Japan, including a 56-homer season as a 22 year-old in 2022. Murakami bats left-handed and rotates between first base and third base, and will bring enormous power upside to the states. There are scouts who are heavily concerned about his swing-and-miss issues and whether or not he’ll make enough contact at a higher level, but there’s no doubt about the upside in his bat. Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani struggled with many of the same issues as Murakami, and he has emerged as the premiere superstar of the league in recent years. These mixed opinions are what inspired The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal to refer to Murakami as a “mystery”. 

Murakami was expected to generate widespread interest, but rumblings about his market have been fairly quiet. With only a week remaining before his December 22nd signing deadline, Murakami will be finding a new home shortly. It’s unclear what kind of contract he’d command, but a softer-than-expected market could open a door for the White Sox. 

A quiet market for Murakami could give White Sox a chance

While there haven’t been any direct ties between the White Sox and Murakami, the team is clearly in the market for a left-handed corner infielder, and the recent hiring of a scout for Japan and Korea indicates the team’s desire to be more present in this market. The White Sox haven’t signed a player directly from Japan since 2005, but were one of the teams attempting to land Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki last offseason.

It’s possible that some teams’ concerns about Murakami’s swing-and-miss rates will lower his price enough for a team like the White Sox to make a serious bid. There’s a decent amount of risk involved in a pursuit , as he’ll undoubtedly command more than a prospect and could quickly become a bad contract if he doesn’t pan out. But tapping into his power and making enough contact could make Murakami one of the premier sluggers in baseball at an affordable price. It’s a risk I think is worth taking. 

The small-market Pirates are reportedly one of the teams interested in Murakami, and the White Sox could offer a friendlier hitting environment than in Pittsburgh. There’s no reason the White Sox shouldn’t be able to compete with Pittsburgh financially, though Jerry Reinsdorf will have the final say. It’s possible that Murakami’s market is more robust than has been reported, but if everything is as it seems, this could be an opportunity that the White Sox need to capitalize on. 

Whether it’s Murakami or a cheaper option, the White Sox will likely address the corner infield this offseason. It may not be a superstar, but the White Sox should add multiple veteran hitters to supplement their young lineup. The team will rely on the progress of the young core and these veteran contributions as they shoot for another jump forward in 2026.