One major question surrounding the much-improved Chicago White Sox is a long-term answer at the first-base position. 2025 saw the departure of the incumbent Andrew Vaughn from the organization, and the team hasn’t had a solid solution since. Eight different players started a game at first base for the White Sox in 2025, and none of them necessarily established themself as the answer moving forward. White Sox GM Chris Getz has suggested that the team could add players via free agency or trade this offseason, and many have speculated that first base could be an area of priority. Fortunately, the first base market is saturated with good options, including Pete Alonso, Josh Naylor, Kyle Schwarber, and others.
One interesting name that’s been added to the market in recent days is Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. It’s been speculated for a few years now that this will be the offseason that Murakami will make the transition from Japan to Major League Baseball, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand confirmed this week that the Yakult Swallows, Murakami’s team in Japan since 2018, intend to post him this winter. This will allow Murakami to sign with any MLB team as a Major League free agent this offseason.
Murakami, 25, is one of the most prominent sluggers in Japan and would bring massive power upside to whichever Major League team he chooses. Despite his age, he’s played eight seasons in pro baseball in Japan, racking up 265 home runs, two MVP awards, and four All-Star appearances. Murakami’s best season came in 2022, where he hit .318 with 56 homers and 134 RBI in the NPB and won the triple crown, a feat not accomplished in Major League Baseball since Miguel Cabrera did it in 2012. In 2025, Murakami was limited to 69 games due to injury, but he slugged 24 home runs in that span and posted an OPS of 1.051. He has played both third base and first base in Japan, and would potentially play both positions with whichever MLB club he chooses.
Murakami’s biggest cause for concern may be his rising strikeout rate and his shrinking walk rate. Major League pitching is considered more advanced than any pitching he would’ve faced in the NPB, so the strikeouts may only increase as he makes the move to the states. Strikeouts are manageable, however, if the power translates and he’s hitting 30+ home runs a season at the big league level.
Murakami could address a critical need for the White Sox
It’s too early to tell what Murakami’s market will look like, but with the White Sox likely looking to fill a hole at first base, it seems only natural that they’d consider him. Outside of Colson Montgomery and Luis Robert Jr, the lineup is mostly devoid of power, and it’s an area they need to focus on in their offseason additions.
The White Sox have never been big players in the international free agent market in Asia, though Tadahito Iguchi was a huge part of the 2005 World Series team, but international scouting director David Keller recently mentioned that the club had hired a scout for the Japanese and Korean leagues. Chris Getz has worked the past couple seasons at getting the White Sox caught up with the rest of the league in terms of scouting and player development, and working the free agent market in Asia is part of that goal. Murakami would fit exactly what the White Sox need in their lineup, and be a good way to break into a market they’ve rarely been a part of in the past.
It’s unclear whether the White Sox will be serious players in the Murakami market or if Chris Getz will choose to address the first base need another way, but addressing the position is a clear step the White Sox can take toward contention in 2026 and beyond.