Munetaka Murakami toโ be Posted by Yokohama Swallows This Offseason
Yokohama Swallows infielder Munetaka Murakami will be postedโค to Major โLeague Baseball after this season, giving MLB clubs the prospect to bid on the โคstar slugger.The announcement marks a โcriticallyโค important โgrowth in the pursuit of one of the mostโ coveted international freeโฃ agentsโฃ available this winter.
Murakami,24,has established himself as a premier power โhitter in โขNippon Professional โBaseball โ(NPB).โ His potential arrival inโฃ MLB addresses โคneedsโ for several teams, โnotably thoseโ with uncertainty at corner infield positions.The โMets face questions โat both frist and thirdโข base with Pete Alonsoโ likely โto opt out ofโ his contract, โwhileโฃ the โYankees could explore first base optionsโข with Paul Goldschmidt entering free agency. Other teams potentially in the mix include the Astros, Cubs, โTigers, Angels, Mariners, โand Reds, all of whomโ haveโฃ current or projected openingsโ at either first or third base.
The posting process will require any signing MLB team to pay aโ posting fee to the Swallows, calculated on a tieredโ system: 20%โค of โขthe first $25 millionโฃ ofโ the โคcontract,โข 17.5% of the next $25 million, and โ15% of any amount exceeding $50 million.This fee adds to โฃthe overall cost โof acquiring Murakami,but โฃhis offensive potential is โexpected to draw considerable interest.
murakami has been a standout performer for the Swallows, showcasing a combination โof power andโข on-base โฃability. His performance has made him a highly โฃsought-after commodity, andโ several MLB teams reportedly considered pursuing him last winter. The Cubs, in โฃparticular, were known โto have been strongly interested.โค
The marketโ for Murakami is expected to โdevelop โfurther in the coming โขweeks.โ Clubs will now beginโข evaluating his skillset and preparing bids for his services. โขThe posting process will ultimately determine which MLBโ team secures the rights toโ negotiate with Murakami, potentiallyโข reshapingโ their infield landscape for years to come.