Overview

• Multiple reports identify the Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Mariners as leading suitors, with the Dodgers, Giants and Red Sox also mentioned as potential bidders.
• Murakami, a left-handed corner infielder, owns 246 NPB home runs and captured a 56-homer Triple Crown season in 2022 at age 22.
• Despite oblique and elbow injuries in 2025, he produced 24 home runs and 52 RBIs in 69 games with a .286/.392/.659 line, per FOX Sports.
• Evaluators note rising strikeout rates and a dip in walk rate in recent seasons, with one AL executive warning those trends could temper some clubs’ enthusiasm.
• Nikkan Sports has speculated his contract could exceed ¥29 billion (around $200 million), though terms remain unconfirmed as teams assess fit at first base, third base or DH.