"Murakami, 25, was arguably the most fascinating player to hit free agency this winter. A 6-foot-2, 230-pound left-handed slugger with elite exit velocity, he was the youngest player on the market and heads to Major League Baseball with 246 home runs in his eight seasons for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He has been a star in Japan since he hit 36 home runs as a 19-year-old in 2019. He followed that up with 56 home runs in 2022, breaking the record for a Japan-born player set in 1964 by Sadaharu Oh. Murakami, a two-time Central League MVP, missed time last season with an oblique injury but hit 22 home runs in 56 games with a .273/.379/.663 slash line."
"While projections for Murakami to hit a financial jackpot preceded his free agency, concerns about his defense -- he can play third base or first base -- and his propensity to swing and miss at pitches in the zone caused a slower market than anticipated ahead of his 5 p.m. ET Monday deadline to sign. Though teams tried to get in for lower-dollar long-term deals, Murakami opted for a higher-dollar short-term offering, allowing himself to prove his ability to adjust to superior MLB pitching."
Munetaka Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox. Murakami is a 25-year-old left-handed power hitter with elite exit velocity and 246 career home runs in eight seasons for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He hit 36 home runs as a 19-year-old and a Japan-born single-season record 56 homers in 2022. Murakami is a two-time Central League MVP who missed time last season with an oblique injury but still produced a .273/.379/.663 slash line in 56 games. Defensive concerns and a high swing-and-miss profile slowed his market, prompting a short-term, higher-dollar choice to re-enter free agency at age 27.
Read at ESPN.com
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