Nationals Will Regret Not Going After Star Japanese Slugger Munetaka Murakami

The Washington Nationals will regret not being more aggressive in the Munetaka Murakami sweepstakes.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals still appear to be piecing together their first base situation.

With Andres Chaparro being the only true first baseman on the 40-man roster, the Nationals opted to hand Warming Bernabal a minor league contract with an invite to their MLB spring training camp. In all likelihood, the young slugger will be part of the equation on Opening Day.

But based on the struggles Chaparro has had in the majors and the poor underlying metrics of Bernabel during his first MLB stint, there isn't a whole lot to get excited about when it comes to getting production from that position next year.

That's why there's a good chance Washington will regret not going after Japanese star slugger Munetaka Murakami more aggressively this winter after Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Chicago White Sox landed him for a much more affordable deal than anticipated.

BREAKING: Third baseman Munetaka Murakami and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $34 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Murakami, 25, is the single-season home run champion in Japan and will bring his prodigious power to a rebuilding White Sox team.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 21, 2025

According to the insider, Murakami agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal. That pales in comparison to the rumored $100 million-plus deal he was projected to receive when he was posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball team earlier this winter.

At that price, it's hard to not think the Nationals should have gotten involved on some level when it came to adding the slugger. While there are some major concerns about Murakami and his ability to be effective in Major League Baseball, getting him for that price is something not many people anticipated.

Why Nationals Will Regret Not Signing Munetaka Murakami

Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images

There are two main reasons why Washington will regret not making a move for Murakami.

The first features their attempt to further grow a presence in Japan. Last offseason, it was notable when the Nationals signed their first-ever Japanese international in Shinnosuke Ogasawara. And while things haven't quite worked out the way both parties envisioned, that was still an important first step for the franchise.

Murakami is a notable figure overseas. He is a prolific power hitter and would have been a high-profile addition for the Nationals. And to have his market crater to the point where he was willing to sign a short-term contract like he did with the White Sox, that was the perfect opportunity to add a player with major upside.

Munetaka Murakami is no stranger to the big lights:

- 2023 WBC Final Home Run
- 2023 WBC Semi-Final Walk Off Hit pic.twitter.com/N82yRjIhRF

— js9innings (@js9inningsmedia) December 21, 2025

Because make no mistake about it -- while there are concerns about his strikeout rate and his struggles to hit velocity -- there is a chance Murakami is able to be a power-hitting star in the states. He hit 246 longballs in eight NPB seasons, including one campaign with 56 and four with 30-plus.

Seeing what he could do at first base should have been something Washington was more interested in, especially because they don't have a clear-cut option to man that position in the short or long term.

How Murakami performs will ultimately decide if the Nationals made the right decision to pursue him or not. But there is a good chance they will regret not taking a flyer on the notable slugger, especially when it comes to their future efforts in Japan.