The Chicago White Sox are suddenly in a race very few saw coming — and the clock is doing them no favors.
MLB.com reported that the White Sox are among the teams actively engaged in talks with Munetaka Murakami as his posting window to sign with an MLB club expires Monday at 5 p.m. ET.
With days, not weeks, left on the calendar, Chicago’s involvement has added urgency and surprise to an otherwise quiet market for one of the most accomplished hitters in international baseball.
Murakami, 25, is not a project.
Over eight seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, he hit.273 with 246 home runs and a.950 OPS. His resume includes multiple MVP-caliber seasons, highlighted by a historic 2022 campaign in which he crushed 56 home runs, breaking Sadaharu Oh’s long-standing single-season record for a Japanese-born player.
Even with questions entering his final NPB season, the power remained elite. Limited by an oblique injury that sidelined him for extended stretches, Murakami still hit 22 home runs in just 56 games, posting an OPS above 1.040. The injury history is not extensive, but teams have noted both the oblique issue and an increase in strikeout rates in recent seasons as factors in their evaluations.
Defensively, Murakami has played primarily third base in Japan, though most MLB scouts project him to first base or designated hitter at the next level. The value is in the bat, and it is a bat that profiles immediately in the middle of a lineup.
That upside has drawn interest across the league.
The Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Pittsburgh Pirates have all been linked to Murakami at various points. For clubs weighing upside against cost, the posting system helps. The release fee is capped, meaning teams are not surrendering prospects, and the real decision centers on contract length and confidence in the offensive translation.
Chicago has spent the past year shedding payroll and reshaping its roster, signaling a reset rather than an aggressive push. Entering talks for a prime-age international star is surprising to say the least.
If the White Sox pull it off, it would not just be a roster upgrade. It would be a clear signal that Chicago is ready to surprise the market — and stop waiting for tomorrow.
