Overview
- Chicago signed left-hander Sean Newcomb to a one-year, $4.5 million contract, with lefty Ryan Rolison designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot.
- The move follows the club’s two-year, $34 million agreement with 25-year-old Munetaka Murakami, who was introduced at Rate Field after leaving the Yakult Swallows.
- Evaluators have flagged Murakami’s elevated strikeout and whiff rates against high velocity, a concern widely cited as shaping his shorter, lower-cost MLB contract.
- The White Sox envision Murakami primarily at first base, and the team supports his plan to represent Japan at the World Baseball Classic in March.
- Chicago also paid a reported $6.5 million posting fee to his former NPB club, as Murakami marked his arrival with holiday donations to a South Side food pantry.