White Sox agree to deal with Japanese record-breaking slugger: report

The Chicago White Sox are reportedly acceptable to adhd immoderate powerfulness to their lineup.

The White Sox and Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami agreed to a two-year woody worthy $34 million, ESPN reported Sunday.

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Japan's Munetaka Murakami rounds the bases aft hitting a location tally during the World Baseball Classic crippled against the U.S., March 21, 2023, successful Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, file)

Murakami, 25, was 1 of the youngest players connected the free-agent market. He started his vocation with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, and acceptable the grounds for astir location runs deed successful a azygous play with 56 successful 2022. He surpassed Sadaharu Oh’s people acceptable successful 1964.

Murakami was wounded during the 2025 season. He deed 22 location runs successful 56 games and had 265 location runs successful 1,003 games. He’s mostly known arsenic a 3rd baseman oregon archetypal baseman defensively, but could extremity up arsenic the White Sox’s designated hitter.

The Murakami woody is among the archetypal steps successful Chicago rebuilding its roster pursuing years of futility.

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Japan 3rd baseman Munetaka Murakami plays against the U.S. astatine LoanDepot Park connected March 21, 2023. (Sam Navarro/USA Today Sports)

Chicago hasn’t made the postseason since 2021 and hasn’t been successful contention to triumph the American League pennant since winning the World Series successful 2005. Since then, The White Sox person lone gotten arsenic acold arsenic the American League Division Series. The squad lone has 3 postseason appearances since 2005 arsenic well.

Last season, the White Sox won 60 games – an betterment implicit 41 wins successful 2024.

Chicago has a fewer young players projected to beryllium successful its lineup going into 2026. Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Edgar Quero and Brooks Baldwin are nether 25 years aged and travel with precocious expectations to assistance crook the squad around.

Japan 3rd baseman Munetaka Murakami circles the bases aft hitting a location tally against the U.S. astatine LoanDepot Park connected March 21, 2023. (Sam Navarro/USA Today Sports)

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Shane Smith, who was an All-Star past year, volition beryllium the ace of the rotation. He had a 3.81 ERA and 145 strikeouts successful his rookie season. He finished 10th successful American League Rookie of the Year voting.

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