Yankees could sign $220M power bat with 246 career home runs to pair with Aaron Judge

The New York Yankees are coming off another season that ended just short. Their playoff run was disappointing, especially after falling just short of the World Series last year. While the Yankees have a strong roster, it hasn’t quite come together. One name to watch this offseason is Cody Bellinger.

“But the one thing that Bellinger provides that Tucker doesn’t—two things actually—center field and first base. I’ll throw in a third thing: no qualifying offer. Tucker will have a qualifying offer that could affect him a little bit. Not that much because he’s a big star. He is the No. 1 free agent but in many respects Bellinger had a better year,” MLB insider Jon Heyman said.

This free agency period will be crucial for the Yankees, so they need to get it right. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand believes the team is in the running to sign Munetaka Murakami.

“Murakami has what one scout called ‘legit power,’ belting 246 home runs over eight seasons, including a 56-homer campaign in 2022 that broke Sadaharu Oh’s 58-year-old record for homers by a Japanese-born player. Murakami is expected to be posted by the Yakult Swallows this winter, becoming the first pure power hitter since Hideki Matsui to make the jump from NPB to the Majors,” Feinsand wrote.

Murakami is a pure power bat and is expected to command a hefty contract this winter.

“Contract Prediction: 10 years, $220 million,” Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter wrote.

Acquiring Murakami would be huge for the Yankees, as his bat alongside Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton would create a fearsome lineup. However, this move could complicate things for Ben Rice, who was expected to move to first base—Murakami also plays there. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees go all in. Murakami is poised to be one of the most coveted free agents of the offseason.

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