After failing to sign two Japanese stars in back-to-back offseasons, the New York Yankees are eyeing a third opportunity to make a splash.
The standout corner infielder from Japan announced in December via Yahoo Japan that he plans to transition to Major League Baseball in 2026. The upcoming 2025 season will be his final year in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), provided his team, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, agrees to post Munetaka Murakami next offseason. When that happens, a bidding war is expected for his services.
According to YES Network’s Michael Kay, the Yankees have prioritized Murakami and tailored their offseason strategy around securing him. “You’ve got to come up with another creative way to make yourself more attractive,” Kay remarked on his ESPN show. “Yamamoto turned you down for the Dodgers. Now Sasaki turned you down. The pressure is on for Murakami.”
Murakami is set to become one of the most coveted international free agents. As per MLB’s posting system, players in NPB need nine years of service for unrestricted free agency, but with just eight years under his belt, Murakami will require posting to join MLB.
The 24-year-old slugger boasts an impressive resume, with 224 career home runs and a .272/.395/.543 slash line over 836 NPB games. He shattered Sadaharu Oh’s iconic single-season home run record with 56 homers in 2022 and was named Central League MVP in 2021 and 2022. Internationally, Murakami made a mark during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, hitting a walk-off double in the semifinal against Mexico and a home run in the final versus Team USA.
To stay competitive, the Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million deal this offseason, keeping first base open for potential future moves. However, as Kay questioned, “Will Murakami choose New York, or will he follow the trend of heading to the West Coast?”
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