The Seattle Mariners made two big trades at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. They added Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor. Seattle's new first and third basemen have been great pickups, and while the Mariners would like to bring them both back, it might not be easy.
If they miss on one or the other, fortunately, there are some other great options in free agency. While Kyle Schwarber, who hit 56 home runs this season, is a hot commodity, the Mariners are linked to a different 56-homer slugger who'd be a great fit this winter.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Mariners are one of many teams linked to Japanese superstar slugger Munetaka Murakami.
Mariners linked to 56-homer Japanese superstar slugger
"According to sources, Munetaka Murakami -- a slugging corner infielder for the Yakult Swallows of the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball -- will be posted this winter, making him available to all 30 big league clubs," Feinsand reports.
Murakami will be an interesting name to watch this winter, as he'll be one of the best power hitters on the market and might be one of the best power hitters posted. Seiya Suzuki, Masataka Yoshida, and Jung Hoo Lee have all garnered a lot of attention and big money deals, but they weren't the kind og power hitter Murakami is.
The 25-year-old first and third baseman hit 56 home runs a season ago, and while he saw his 2025 season cut down due to injury, he still hit 22 home runs with 47 RBIs and a 1.043 OPS in just 56 games.
Such a power hitter is someone that the Mariners are not just keeping close ties to, but are one of the top teams interested in him this winter.
"Nikkan Sports reported this week that the Yankees, Mets, Phillies, and Mariners are among the teams that could make a big push for Murakami," Feinsand writes.
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Landing Murakami would be a nice addition to the Mariners' lineup. But, there's liekly a catch. Seattle, if they re-sign both Naylor and Suarez, wouldn't have a clear spot for Murakami.
Naylor at first base and Suarez at third would leave only the designated hitter spot open, and with the Mariners playing Raleigh at DH at times this season, the lineup construction would be a tricky one to manage.
But if one of Naylor or Suarez departs, then Murakami would be a perfect replacement. His power is very appealing, and while his strikeout rate might have climbed to 29.5 percent, in today's game, if he can hit 56 home runs in a season, taking the higher strikeout numbers is acceptable.
The contract for Murakami might be a big one, as other Japanese and Korean position players have landed deals around $100 million over five years in recent seasons. Landing a power hitter like Murakami would be a nice boost to the Mariners' lineup, especially if Seattle loses one of Naylor or Suarez in free agency.
Once the 2025 season comes to a close and free agency begins, the posting of Murakami and his subsequent free agent market will be one to watch. The Mariners will be one of the teams interested in Murakami, as the Japanese superstar could come to Seattle to pair with Raleigh as two dominant power hitters in the Mariners lineup.
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