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White Sox Sign Munetaka Murakami to Two-Year, $34 Million Deal

Chicago will start him at first base as a middle‑order bat, framing the short contract as a prove‑it runway.

Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan third baseman Munetaka Murakami (55) plays his position during the sixth inning against the USA at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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Overview

  • General manager Chris Getz said Monday that Murakami was introduced in Chicago and will open spring training as the club’s first baseman in the heart of the lineup.
  • The agreement is a clean two-year, $34 million contract, with a reported $6.575 million posting fee bringing the White Sox’s total outlay to about $40.575 million.
  • The deal was finalized just before his NPB posting window closed, ending a slower-than-expected market for the 25-year-old slugger.
  • Murakami arrives with elite NPB credentials, including 265 career homers, a 2022 Triple Crown season and a Japanese single-season record 56 home runs.
  • Teams weighed concerns about his high strikeout and whiff rates and defense, and his camp chose a short-term path that could position him to re-enter free agency at 27 if he adjusts to MLB pitching.