MLB insider links Munetaka Murakami to $4.6B NL Central franchise amid potential major league move

Japanese standout Munetaka Murakami has been linked with several MLB teams this offseason. However, there are concerns about the Japanese infielder's strikeout percentage.

In a recent discussion, insider Mark Feinsand said that the $4.6B NL Central franchise (per Forbes), the Chicago Cubs, may be a likely destination for the NPB slugger. Murakami has to sign within six days, as his posting window closes on Dec. 22 at 5 pm ET.

"If Bregman and Bichette are gone, the Cubs are a team that has been around a lot of these guys," Feinsand said. "I see Munetaka Murakami, the big slugger from Japan potentially going to the Cubs. Here's the interesting thing. We're talking about Dominoes. This is my number five guy." "He's got a sign in the next six days. His posting window ends on December 22nd. So he could be the first guy to go. But the Cubs may be looking at some of the other guys, saying their price ranges are a little out of their comfort zone. Murakami might be a better fit there to bring in some power."

The 25-year-old is a four-time NPB All-Star, recording 56 home runs in 2022. While the market has been silent for the player, several insiders, including Ken Rosenthal, believe he won’t be returning to Japan and will sign a deal as soon as Monday.

Feinsand believes Murakami will be able to bring in both power and financial flexibility to the Cubs, despite the team being in talks with other star players. His market is related to free agent stars Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette, as their decisions will cause a domino effect to clear up Murakami’s standpoint.

The Cubs' Kyle Tucker reunion seems unlikely, as the outfielder is heavily linked to the Blue Jays, Yankees and Mets.

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Insiders can’t predict a perfect team for Munetaka Murakami

Munetaka Murakami [Credit: Imagn]

While players and teams have often been linked to one another in free agency talks, Munetaka Murakami’s situation seems a bit unique. His swing-and-miss rate could be behind the hesitation from MLB teams.

Many teams seem to be in the mix with the Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, and Blue Jays. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal even compared Murakami to Shohei Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki, saying,

"Murakami is a guy has 80 power, but there are serious concerns about the swing-and-miss tendencies. Now, I wrote in my notes column that Ohtani’s ages 18-to-22 seasons had an even higher strikeout rate in Japan than Murakami has in his career.” “But if you look at Seiya Suzuki, his strikeout rate in Japan was much lower than Murakami’s, and he has been a successful major league hitter. So Murakami is something of a boom-or-bust guy, at least in the eyes of clubs."

It’s not just Murakami, but even Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto’s markets have been cold since the free agency. As of now, their potential landing spots remain unclear.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash