Munetaka Murakami shocked MLB fans on Sunday by choosing a rebuilding franchise over a traditional contender. The 25-year-old Japanese superstar agreed to a two-year, $34 million contract with the Chicago White Sox, a move reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Murakami Joins MLB By Signing With White Sox
On paper, Murakami was expected to land with a perennial powerhouse. The Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, and Mariners were all logical fits given his age, power, and marketability. Murakami owns Japan’s single-season home run record and has been viewed as the next middle-of-the-order import poised to dominate stateside.
BREAKING: Third baseman Munetaka Murakami and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $34 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Murakami, 25, is the single-season home run champion in Japan and will bring his prodigious power to a rebuilding White Sox team.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 21, 2025
Yet concerns around his swing-and-miss tendencies and defensive profile cooled the biggest bidders. Rather than offer long-term security, many clubs preferred shorter dollars or incentive-heavy structures.
The White Sox saw an opportunity. Murakami will play every day, hit in the middle of the order, and have the chance to erase doubts about his hit tool and glove. Bigger-market powerhouses couldn’t promise the same combination of at-bats, patience, or spotlight.
For Murakami, this is a calculated bet on himself. Instead of locking into a team-friendly deal that might undervalue his ceiling, he’s wagering that two strong MLB seasons will push him toward a massive free-agent payday in 2027. If his power translates, he’ll be entering free agency younger than most players are when they debut.
For Chicago, this is the type of move rebuilding clubs rarely get to make. Murakami joins a young core headlined by Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Miguel Vargas, and Edgar Quero, pieces that suddenly make the Sox far more interesting. The signing marks the franchise’s biggest free-agent splash in years, a sign that rebuilding does not mean waiting quietly.
The White Sox will need all the help that they can get as a team that finished 60-102 in 2025, the worst mark in the National League by a full 10 games. They finished in the bottom-5 in the MLB in essentially every batting stat category, meaning that they’ll lean heavily on Murakami’s bat for production over the next two years.
