White Sox Sign Japan’s Home Run Leader to a Two-Year Contract

Munetaka Murakami drew interest from various teams.

Munetaka Murakami signed a two-year deal with the White Sox. / Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images

The White Sox are signing third baseman Munetaka Murakami from Japan on a two-year, $34 million deal, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Sunday. Murakami will play first base in Chicago.

Murakami drew interest from various MLB teams, including the Red Sox, but Chicago ended up with the Japanese star with little time to spare as his signing window was set to end on Monday. Passan added that Murakami could’ve gone with a long-term, low-dollar deal, but he decided to choose a short-term, high-dollar contract.

The 25-year-old was a two-time home run leader in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League. He hit 39 home runs in 2021, followed by 56 homers hit in ‘22, which is the most home runs hit in a single season by a Japanese-born player in the league. Murakami captured the triple crown in ‘22 after posting league-highs with 134 RBIs and a batting average of .318.

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Murakami was due to come over to MLB as he signed a three-year deal with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2022, setting him up to make his MLB debut after the ‘25 season. He played eight seasons with the Swallows.

The White Sox, who went 60–102 this past season, are in need of a player with big star power and presence on the field. Murakami might be the answer to this gap. Additionally, the White Sox will have the first pick in the 2026 MLB draft to get another young superstar in July.

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