"Murakami isn't without flaws, as contact and defense are question marks. The slugger has posted strikeout rates above 28% in each of the past three seasons. Murakami would be strikeout-prone if he did that in the big leagues, but in the typically lower-strikeout NPB, it's a bit alarming. Third base has been Murakami's home in recent years, but he might not stick at the position long-term. Scouts grade him as a middling defender who might be better suited for first base or DH."
"Any time a notable free agent is discussed, the free-spending Dodgers will be in the conversation. That's especially true when the player in question is coming over from Japan, as Los Angeles already boasts Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. The fit, however, is less than ideal. The Dodgers have Ohtani plugged into the DH spot on a daily basis. Freddie Freeman will hold down first base through 2027."
Munetaka Murakami was posted by the Yakult Swallows and is available to MLB clubs. He is 25 years old and has hit 246 home runs across eight NPB seasons, including a single-season record 56 in 2022. Murakami has posted strikeout rates above 28% in each of the past three seasons, raising contact concerns given NPB's typically lower strikeout environment. Scouts rate him as a middling defender whose long-term home might be first base or designated hitter rather than third base. MLBTR projected an eight-year, $180 million contract and expectations center on offers well into nine figures. The Dodgers and Mets surface as potential fits, though roster construction and existing players complicate straightforward fits.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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