Royals Could Pursue NPB Star To Bolster Offense For 2026

The Royals could dive into the international market to help their cause.

Mar 12, 2024; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; General view of Kansas City Royals hats and gloves in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies during a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals are hanging around in the American League Wild Card race. They are four games back with a record of 60-61. They chose to buy rather than sell at the trade deadline in hopes of bolstering their offense to get back into the postseason race. Their most impactful moves were the trades to acquire veterans Adam Frazier, Randal Grichuk and Mike Yastrzemski.

However, all three of those players will be free agents at the end of the year, so the Royals will likely either need to make a trade or dive into the free agent market to make a move. They don't typically spend big money in free agency, so they might have to get creative.

But among the potential free agents is NPB star Munetaka Murakami. Perhaps the Royals could take a chance on him.

Royals Could Target NPB Star To Boost Offense

Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan third baseman Munetaka Murakami (55) plays his position during the sixth inning against the USA at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"Murakami underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in December and also suffered an oblique injury this year, which has impacted his ability to play. Despite those setbacks, he is expected to be posted after the season, although his injury history could affect how teams evaluate his worth. He profiles as a .240-to-.260-type hitter in MLB, but with legitimate 30-home run power," Jim Bowden wrote in The Athletic.

"Defensively, he’s below average at third base and adequate at first base. He’s also played left field for Yakult this season for the first time in his career."

Murakami is not a regular outfielder and is mainly an infielder. But if the Royals potentially stick him at first place, they could move Vinnie Pasquantino to the outfield. They could also potentially use Murakami as a designated hitter.

While the Royals aren't big spenders typically, Murakami might not be out of their price range. They do need power in their lineup, and having somebody to go with Bobby Witt Jr. could give their offense a completely different look in 2026.

Their outlook for the rest of 2025 is bleak. However, if they add enough offense for 2026, they might be in a much better position to try and make a return trip to the postseason.

It will certainly be interesting to see how they navigate free agency. They didn't do enough last offseason to bolster their offense, so they might be more aggressive this time around.

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