Munetaka Murakami Posted to MLB

Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami, a 25-year-old power-hitting standout from the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, was officially posted to Major League Baseball on Friday, opening a 45-day window for MLB teams to negotiate a contract with him. The negotiation period begins Saturday at 8 a.m. ET and ends December 22 at 5 p.m. ET. If no deal is reached, Murakami will return to the Swallows for the 2026 season.

Murakami, a left-handed batter who primarily plays third base but has experience at first base, enters the MLB market as one of the top free agents this offseason. Over eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, he has slugged 246 home runs with 722 runs batted in while maintaining a .270 batting average. His breakout came in 2022, when he hit 56 homers in 141 games, shattering the single-season record of 55 set by Sadaharu Oh in 1964. That year, he also won the Central League Triple Crown and league MVP award. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Murakami helped Japan secure its third title, delivering a walk-off double in the semifinals against Mexico and a home run in the final.

This past season, an oblique injury limited him to 56 games, yet he still posted a .273 batting...