caulfield12

Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP Age: 19 The White Sox signed Fajardo for $400,000 out of Venezuela in 2024, then dealt him to the Red Sox for reliever Cam Booser prior to 2025. Fajardo broke out with the Red Sox this past season and ranked ninth in their system entering 2026. Fajardo throws a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup with above-average control. Fajardo’s fastball sits 93-95 mph with below-average ride, but it’s an average pitch because of his velocity and command. His mid-80s gyro slider misses bats with unusually low spin. Fajardo’s upper-80s changeup has good separation from his fastball with good whiff and chase rates in 2025. Fajardo has back-end starter upside. baseballamerica.com

"HallofFrank" Soxmachine.com comments section "Simply put, Murakami is a unicorn due to his elite exit velocities. It won't be so surprising if he succeeds in unexpected ways. (2) He (Mike Baumann) doesn't sufficiently account for Murakami's age and difference in league — in other words, for the likelihood of substantial adjustments. Extremely talented players can often get by with certain approaches or swings at lower levels (or in this case, different levels, see Ohtani NPB numbers) but typically must adjust when they climb the ladder. Murakami is clobbering NPB, so chances are he didn't care about his Z-Contact %. And why would he? But as he works with MLB teams and sees the ways he'll be pitched, he'll have to make adjustments, like many other prospects who advance after dominating a lower level. In general, I'm less concerned about one hole in the player's game if he's dominating the level, because he doesn't yet have the incentive to adjust and it demonstrates spectacular tools elsewhere. I'm not saying he'll come over and it'll be an easy fix and that will be that. But it's rather typical for exceptionally talented prospects to have a statistical hole in their game somewhere because they've never really had to address it." https://soxmachine.com/2025/12/white-sox-signing-munetaka-murakami-to-two-year-34m-deal

"The Swallows will receive a $6.575 million posting fee and could receive more based on performance incentives in Murakami’s deal." https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025/12/22/baseball/mlb/munetaka-murakami-posting-white-sox/

Sure, switch him with Vargas then. Except he has a tendency to clog up the base paths compared to Teel/Vargas/Meidroth.

Thought I heard 2-3 whistles there blowing it dead. Didn't really matter, except rubbing salt in the wound.

I, too, would like to join Team Rodriguez. Hiring him, the #1 pick win and now this signing and even the Bears in the span of less than two weeks? It had to be due to inexplicable outside forces.

Murakami his lefties better than rights until proven otherwise. Move Robert down to 5 and Montgomery up to clean-up Flip flop Murakami and Quero.

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/fantasy-baseball-offseason-reactions-munetaka-murakamis-deal-with-white-sox-spells-trouble/ Of course there's this very skeptical view of Murakami. That the White Sox can't be right while 29 teams with bigger scouting depts and better, more advanced analytics departments are all wrong. If it was MIL CLE TB instead...the perception would be quite different. Also, the Dodgers keeping Muncy at his advanced age instead of pursuing Murakami. Lots of factors to consider. If we substituted Colson Montgomery's history for Murakami and made him a FA...the demand might be higher for Colson due to 4 successful months of MLB play and his ability to play above average SS, but not many teams would guarantee more than three years because of the possibility of that floor falling out from under him and him outgrowing the position or having back problems due to the torque created by that violent swing.

1) White Sox give him little to no pressure to produce his first year, adjustment period 2) Ability to experiment at 3B and drive up his perceived market/trade value 3) Marketing opportunities in #2 media market, as already the biggest name player on team 4) Comfort level with Suzuki and Imanaga in town already and adjusted 5) Coverage over 2027 lockout year 6) Ability to go back to FA market at the very start of his physical peak…which is quite rare in today’s game 7) Relatively easy short RF target zone at GRF…been saying that 35 years now…shorter gaps/alleys as well Not to mention ST shared facilities with Dodgers…

The massive difference is that Contreras has been a proven run producer (when healthy) for quite some time…if their scouts were 100% sold on Murakami, they surely would have secured him on a $20-22 million one year deal, or higher AAV two years. Red Sox are not even 100% about Bregman holding up in his 30s, but he’s still a surer thing. Same with Bichette, for that matter. And they still have their young core intact, with the possible exception of moving on from Duran.

And he’s a West Coast guy with family connected to Hollywood. SFG if they miss on Imai or Padres.

Hopefully he is more Pasqua and less Palka…

Tomlin/Rodgers putting together one of the more unexpected seasons...amazing consistency.

Think Iguchi every time with that 5 but he was #15. Ray Durham lol. Pretty much the opposite of Murakami in every way except strikeouts.

Far too erotic...although much better than Hachi/ko (from A Dog's Tale.) Then there's another H for Hayao Miyazaki, the most famous Japanese animator who recently retired. Studio Ghibli/Totoro/Murakami Bobbleheads lol? SoxTalk Book Club.

More like Sugano. Relies on finesse/odd speed stuff. What next, Senga changed his mind and is coming back to the US?

Plus the trade return in 2027 or QO at the worst if he's very good. Or Ishbia steps up and makes his first long-term investment that's not stadium related. A little reminiscent of the 2014 Abreu situation where only the Rockies needed a 1B...minus the control over a big portion of his career (for now).

It was based on just 24 at bats or something like that...in 2025. Probably the majority came against Imai and elite relievers.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/is-munetaka-murakami-a-bargain-at-34m-for-2-years-his-surprise-signing-with-white-sox-fits-nicely-in-chicagos-rebuild-191334685.html

Grade A+ At this price, it's a more than worthy project. If it succeeds, there will be a lot of teams looking back at this opportunity, wishing they had focused more on what Murakami can do, and not what they think he cannot. And who knows? If Murakami, who is sure to be highly motivated after the way his posting window unfolded, becomes some semblance of that 56-homer monster we first heard about, maybe he will decide his new South Side digs suit him just fine. And when he's ready to win, the White Sox club around him might be ready to do the same. -- Doolittle "In a White Sox organization rich in young infield talent, that destiny seems like a good bet. Besides the likes of Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Billy Carlson, Chicago is likely to add UCLA star Roch Cholowsky to the mix with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft. There doesn't seem to be any great need to give Murakami much of a runway at third base, though for 2026, it might be worth a shot, if only to build value." https://global.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46994593/2025-26-mlb-offseason-grades-free-agency-trade-analysis Playing him at 3B to further increase trade value is worth at least investigating, with pretty much nothing to lose but Vargas/Mead playing time at risk.

https://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/murakami-signs-with-chisox.47581/#post-7011135 Red Sox fans' takes on missing out on Murakami. Seem to feel too much risk for a contender to just give him a job. Outfield picture way too crowded. Someone has to go. T.Casas continues to be a polarizing figure on and off the field.

https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/munetaka-murakami-white-sox-contract 11 am Monday morning press conference scheduled https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/mlb/chicago-white-sox/news/munetaka-murakami-white-sox-japanese-hr-champion-chicago/ed6394ee928cf5edd7318225 Red Sox fans must be mystified why they finished in second for Murakami.

If he's one of the Top Ten hitters in mlb history his first 7-8 big league seasons, it will be quite the story. Completely different offensive approaches and contact skills.

Antonacci still arguably needs more time in the minors. Unless he just blows Meidroth away in ST and looks better than expected defensively, but Chase was lousy for most of his time in AZ as well last year. Also don't see them carrying three catchers. Sosa and Mead are clearly most at risk...but maybe Lenyn DHs unless they pull Benintendi out of LF.

And Michigan TN Missouri. They hardly had a soft schedule. MI was very highly ranked at the beginning of the season. Mateer was just never really the same after that hand injury...and they never developed a consistent ground game. Defense/turnovers and special teams were the reasons for most wins. Never got to face Vandy.