Overview

• MLB.com reports Murakami is expected to be posted this offseason, making the Yakult Swallows slugger available to all 30 MLB clubs.
• Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Mariners are cited as leading suitors, with the Dodgers, Giants and Red Sox also mentioned as potential bidders.
• Mets president David Stearns scouted Murakami in Japan in August and saw him hit a walk-off home run, underscoring New York’s interest.
• The 25-year-old left-handed corner infielder owns 246 NPB homers and a 56-homer, Triple Crown 2022 season, and he has primarily played third base with time at first.
• Despite elbow and oblique issues limiting him in 2025, he produced 22 home runs and a 1.043 OPS in 56 games; he is not subject to international bonus-pool limits, will have a 45-day negotiating window once posted, and Japanese reports speculate a deal could exceed $200 million as clubs consider his rising strikeout and dipping walk rates.