"Munetaka Murakami came into the offseason as one of the more intriguing names on the free agent market. He slotted in at No. 4 on our annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list. Despite Murakami's prolific power in NPB, the reported interest around the young slugger was minimal as the winter progressed. The White Sox and Red Sox were among the only known suitors. Murakami ultimately went to Chicago on a modest two-year, $34MM deal."
"The Diamondbacks were among the teams interested in Murakami, reports John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports. Gambadoro added that the former Japanese star was " one of a few of the Asian players" the Diamondbacks were considering. He didn't mention any other names, but the free agent market includes several notable players making the jump stateside, including Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto. MLBTR's Anthony Franco predicted Okamoto would sign with Arizona in the aforementioned Top 50 FAs piece."
"Arizona's connection to Murakami makes sense given the state of the club's corner infield spots. First baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suarez were dealt to Seattle in separate deals at the trade deadline. That left Pavin Smith and Tyler Locklear (who came over in the Suarez trade) to handle the majority of the first base reps. Blaze Alexander stepped in as the primary third baseman."
Munetaka Murakami entered free agency as a top-50 candidate and ultimately signed a two-year, $34MM deal with the White Sox despite limited reported interest. The Diamondbacks showed interest and considered him among several Asian free agents, with other notable candidates including Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto. Arizona's corner-infield picture is unsettled after trading Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez, leaving Pavin Smith, Tyler Locklear and Blaze Alexander as immediate options and Jordan Lawlar projected for 2026. Locklear underwent surgery on both his left elbow and shoulder and could start the season on the injured list. Arizona may pursue a right-handed first-base complement or upgrade and is expected to explore the closer market.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]