White Sox sign Japanese star Munetaka Murakami, multiple reports say originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Chicago White Sox have added another huge bat to their roster, reportedly inking Munetaka Murakami to a free agent deal.
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According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman and other reports, the White Sox will sign Murakami to a two-year deal worth $34 million.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, it is expected that Murakami will play first base for the White Sox.
The 25-year-old slugger last played for Yakult in the Japan Central League, hammering 24 home runs and driving in 52 RBI’s in an injury-hampered 2025 season. In his eight-year career, Murakami has 265 home runs and has stolen 76 bases in 1,003 games, slashing .273/.394/.550 in those contests.
His breakout year came in 2022 when he blasted 56 home runs and drove in 134 RBI’s, posting a stellar .458 on-base percentage and an OPS of 1.168, leading the Central League.
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Needless to say, Murakami is a huge shot in the arm for a White Sox offense that will be extremely reliant on young hitting as it tries to move past back-to-back 100-loss seasons. Colston Montgomery figures to be key to that process, along with Kyle Teel and Brandon Montgomery, and the White Sox will hope to make big strides forward as they continue their rebuilding process with manager Will Venable at the helm.
