Brace your self, the Munetaka Murakami sweepstakes are about to start.
The slugging third baseman referred to as “The Japanese Babe Ruth” has entered the posting system Friday, kicking off one of many most-hyped MLB free businesses of the low season, in response to ESPN sources.
Murakami’s 45-day window to ink a deal will begin at 8 a.m. ET Saturday, sources stated, guaranteeing he’ll signal with an enormous league membership earlier than it expires at 5 p.m. on Dec. 22. Over that timespan, a number of MLB groups, together with the world champion Dodgers, are anticipated to pursue Murakami, who’s launched 246 house runs over eight seasons for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Murakami, 25, holds the single-season homer report for a Japanese participant in Nippon Skilled Baseball, hitting 56 in 2022 to interrupt Sadaharu Oh’s 58-year-old report of 55.
It’s that big-time energy that makes Murakami so tantalizing to MLB groups. Try this rocket launcher:
Sources stated high-ranking MLB executives “emerged impressed” after scouting a number of video games of Murakami this season. “He has legit energy,” stated one scout by way of mlb.com. “It ought to translate to the Majors.”
However Murakami’s sport isn’t with out holes. His strikeout fee has eclipsed 28% three seasons in a row within the NPB and that fee is predicted to climb within the MLB. One other concern is Murakami’s stroll fee that’s dropped from a career-high 19.3 p.c in 2022 to 14.3 p.c this previous 12 months. And defensively, he’s thought-about mediocre at greatest and appears destined to shift from third to first base or perhaps even DH.
Nonetheless, Murakami is broadly anticipated to nab a nine-figure deal from an MLB workforce that should pay a posting payment of no less than $16.9 million to the Swallows. The richest MLB deal given to a place participant coming from Japan is the five-year, $90 million contract Masataka Yoshida inked with the Purple Sox three years in the past. Murakami ought to simply exceed that.
In keeping with quite a lot of studies, the Yankees, Mets and Mariners, along with the Dodgers, seem like the frontrunners to land Murakami. CBS Sports activities stated the Blue Jays, Cubs, Giants, Padres, Rangers and Tigers “shouldn’t be dominated out both.” Bleacher Report expects the Angels and Phillies to make a run on the Japanese slugger.
MLB author Mark Feinsand stated Murakami “gives quite a few potentialities for the Phillies, who could lose Kyle Schwarber and his 56 homers to free company.”
At this level, it’s only a guess at who will win the Murakami sweepstakes however whoever does pays north of $100 million.
Supply: Forbes
