Red Sox Predicted To Sign 25-Year-Old Slugger With Huge Upside

The Boston Red Sox should be looking all over the place to add power...

May 22, 2018; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A general view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

It's clear that the Boston Red Sox need a power boost in the middle of the lineup.

Even with Alex Bregman as a member of the organization in 2025, Boston still finished 15th in the league as a team in home runs with 186. Now, the biggest reason for the power drop-off arguably is that the Red Sox traded their best slugger away during the season in Rafael Devers. Also, Bregman got hurt for a while. Eventually, Roman Anthony added some pop to the lineup, but he got hurt too.

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Even if the Red Sox can bring Bregman back, they will still need a but more from a power perspective. The Athletic's Andy McCullough weighed in and predicted that Boston will find it by signing Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami.

The Red Sox have a chance to add some pop this winter

"Boston Red Sox (89-73): IF Munetaka Murakami," McCullough wrote. "I placed Murakami with the Red Sox, in part, through the process of elimination. David Stearns says he wants to improve the Mets’ run-prevention machine, and Murakami doesn’t really grade as a defensive upgrade over Pete Alonso. The Dodgers don’t have a place in their lineup for him. I think the Phillies will re-up with another slugger you’ll read about shortly. So the best fit for Murakami, a 26-year-old with incredible power but glaring questions about his ability to make contact, might be the Red Sox."

Murakami was posted by the Yakult Swallows back in early November. He has until Dec. 22nd to agree to a deal with a big league team or he will return to the Swallows in 2026, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

"Murakami will have until 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 22 to agree to a deal with a big league team," Feinsand wrote on Nov. 7. "If he is still unsigned at that point, his posting window will expire and he will return to the Swallows."

He's a guy with legit pop from the left side of the plate. He launched 265 homers as a member of the Swallows, dating back to the 2018 season when he made his professional debut. He can play either first base or third base, although Feinsand noted that Murakami is being viewed more as a first baseman.

Murakami is just 25 years old as well. Boston already has a young core in place led by Anthony. Adding Murakami to it would not only help the 2026 team, but the organization into the future.

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