"NPB slugger Munetaka Murakami's posting window closes at 4pm CT time on December 22. With just over a day left for Murakami to sign with an MLB club, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the White Sox are among the teams that are presently engaged in talks with the slugger's camp. Chris Cotillo of MassLive adds that the Red Sox have "kicked the tires" on Murakami, as well as fellow NPB infielder Kazuma Okamoto. Okamoto's posting window closes on January 4."
"Murakami's time on the market has been unusually quiet for a player of his status. These reports of interest on the part of Chicago and Boston are the first significant reports tying Murakami to any of MLB's 30 teams, as his representation has seemingly played things very close to the vest regarding his market. The 25-year-old has surely received interest from other clubs as well that has simply gone unreported,"
"Geoff Pontes of Baseball America suggested in an appearance on Foul Territory this past week that the slugger's market has been "softer" than he and his representation were expecting entering the offseason. MLBTR ranked Murakami as the #4 free agent on the market this winter, predicting an eight-year, $180MM contract for the young slugger as part of our Top 50 MLB Free Agents list."
Munetaka Murakami’s NPB posting window closes at 4pm CT on December 22, with the White Sox and Red Sox engaged in talks and Kazuma Okamoto’s window closing January 4. Murakami’s market has been unusually quiet for a player of his stature, and his representation has kept interest largely unreported. Observers describe his market as softer than expected, and MLBTR projected him as the #4 free agent with an eight-year, $180MM projection. Comparisons to Yoshinobu Yamamoto highlight the premium on age and trajectory. Concerns have emerged about Murakami’s low contact rates in NPB.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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