Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Veteran Depth Hurt Munetaka Murakami Pursuit

The New York Yankees' pride and joy might have hurt their hunt for Japanese heavy-hitter Munetaka Murakami.
Delilah Bourque|
Dec 22, 2025; Chicago, Il, USA; New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami during a press conference where he was introduced at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Dec 22, 2025; Chicago, Il, USA; New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami during a press conference where he was introduced at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

The New York Yankees were initially named a top spot for newly-signed Chicago White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami when he was posted for MLB teams to sign. However, a deal with the Nippon Professional League slugger may have been further away than anyone believed.

In an interview with Chicago Sports Network's Chris Getz, Murakami revealed why he signed with the White Sox, who had the worst record in the AL in 2025 and second worst in the MLB, trailing only the Colorado Rockies.

“I feel there are lot of exciting young players here. Just as my career panned out in Japan, I went to a team that was very young and we got to the promised land of winning the championship there. I kinda feel something similar here, I feel like I’m destined to be here,” Murakami said through his translator.

Yankees Missed Out on Munetaka Murakami for One Big Reason

The White Sox signed Murakami to a two year, $34 million deal that instantly upgrades their lineup. When asked what makes him such a good hitter, he delivered a powerful one-word response.

"Power," he said while smirking and without use of his translator. "I have power."

The Yankees could certainly use the power boost from Murakami. The 25 year-old is a NPL superstar, smacking 24 home runs and slashing .286/ .392/ .659 for an OPS of 1.051 in 2025 as a member of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, his team since 2018. He also helped lead Japan to a gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Munetaka Murakami Picked White Sox for Youthful Roster

While the White Sox boast a lot of young potential, the Yankees rely much more on their veteran depth. From Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, many of the players on the roster are over 30. The Yankees also tend to focus more on dealing prospects for vets to stay as perennial contenders, as opposed to holding onto their drafted players.

Still, there are some young guns who are looked at as the future of Bronx baseball. Ben Rice is considered to be the first homegrown Yankees first baseman (though he also is a competent outfielder and catcher) in some time, while Cam Schlittler set records for rookie pitchers in the playoffs this year. There's also young shortstop Anthony Volpe, though he is a much more divisive figure among Yankees faithful.

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Delilah Bourque
DELILAH BOURQUE

Delilah Bourque is a writer and copyeditor based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021. After a few years in corporate marketing, she joined On SI as a full-time copyeditor and contributor to the New York Yankees On SI, as well as occasional contributions across the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers on SI.

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