Japanese third baseman Munataka Murakami Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yakult Swallows will make the announcement today, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. The slugger will have 45 days starting Nov. 8 to reach an agreement with the MLB team.
Murakami has long been expected to jump from NPB to MLB after the 2025 season. He will now officially be one of the most interesting names on the free agent market. Kyle Tucker and Beau Bichette He’s the only hitter ahead of him on our list of the top 50 free agents.
Murakami, 25, has been one of the best power hitters in the NPB over the past seven seasons. In 2022, he hit 56 home runs, breaking Wang Dingzhi’s single-season record. Murakami hit 246 home runs in eight seasons with NPB.
Because Murakami is 25 years old, he is considered a professional under MLB’s international free agent rules. That means he can negotiate with all 30 teams without restrictions. Players who transfer to MLB before turning 25 are considered amateurs and subject to an international bonus pool system that greatly limits their ability to earn money.
Murakami slashed .270/.394/.557 with the Swallows, despite a lot of swings and misses in his game. His strikeout rate has been at least 28% in each of the past three seasons. Strikeout numbers are typically lower in NPB, so expect that number to go up when Murakami faces MLB pitching.
It’s unclear what role Murakami will play defensively. He has spent most of the past five seasons at third base, but he also has plenty of experience at first base. Murakami made one start in right field last year. Scouts marked him as an average outfielder best suited at first base.
‘Future Dodgers’ is a typical response to Murakami’s discussion as the club already has Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamotoand Sasaki Riki. and freddie freeman capture first base and Max Muncy Back in Game 3, Los Angeles had no open looks in the corners. Ohtani is locked in at DH. The Dodgers may have seen enough of a sample in one game this season to try out Murakami in the outfield, but their selection is less certain. Big markets like the Red Sox, Mets and Yankees seem like a better fit.
Teams that sign Murakami must pay the Swallows a posting fee. Fees are 20% of the first $25MM of the contract, 17.5% of the next $25MM, and 15% of expenses over $50MM.
