caulfield12

One exec called it 90. Off the charts!! While plenty of teams have balked at Murakami's strikeout rate, in-zone swing-and-miss and questionable defensive position, one high-ranking executive this week said: "He's still got 90 raw power." Meaning: Murakami's immense power breaks the scouting scale that ranks players on scores of 20 to 80. Passan/espn

That's actually Murakami's nickname, though. Because of his size/frame and personality, partially.

As long as it's not LAD NYM NYY Philly Toronto Boston Cubs...that's all impartial baseball fans can ask for.

You know we're in trouble when SoxTalk comes up on google as the best source for current/updated Murakami rumors lol. Even went to Japan Times sports to see if anyone was ahead of this story somewhere in the world. No dice. No Times of India/Hindustan Times.

I would put JMU over Oregon or Paul over Joshua as more likely... 7-0. That was fast. Although someone did actually bet $1.3 million on Joshua in that clown show/rigged fight.

Well, that will most certainly impact JR's decision-making process. Not even sure he knows that Murakami even exists...but "SoxTalk unite, and let's roll out!" Soxtimus Prime

You personally willed half of the Murakami/Sox rumors into existence. Well that, Schoenfield speculation and Duquette piling on because there's so little credible information to actually report.

WestEddy being totally against Murakami and then wavering and stating lukewarm support for his potential marketing impact in order to demonstrate alignment with Getz actually signing him...so which is it, for or against? No conditions or if under a certain number of years/dollars....you are either for or against signing Murakami??? I, for one, am firmly for the signing. He's exactly what the White Sox need. Someone who people would pay to watch hit. 2+ years ago I started a thread asking who would fans pay to actually watch hit besides Robert/Burger? There were no good answers with C.Montgomery struggling mightily at the time. Now there's Colson Teel Braden Murakami (in theory) Cholowsky/Emerson/LeBron and the #2/3 draft picks behind him that would all answer that question. Heck, maybe even Bonemer.

Has anyone besides the Padres actually MET with him or his agent in the last week or so? "Now, you have local verification that Murakami to the White Sox goes beyond just a mere suggestion or a guess from the national media: 670theScore’s baseball insider Bruce Levine revealed on his Saturday morning radio show that the White Sox should not be ruled out for Murakami’s services." Levine is merely just piling on or echoing the echo chamber here. Are all the teams sworn to total secrecy by the agents for the three main Japanese FA's? Weird. More twists and turns based on so little information...at least with Machado, we had two separate ESPN banner headlines about how imminent a signing was perceived to be..

Take the most athletic collegiate SS or CFer (preference) with at least an above average hit tool and plus defense.

Feels like the Cubs might come in with a 1-2 year offer. Pacifies frustrated fanbase. Imanaga/Suzuki. Big market for sponsorships, but not the pressure cooker of NY Boston Philly. Mariners Angels Red Sox Padres Cubs Pirates...one of those six.

https://bosoxinjection.com/red-sox-could-capitalize-on-munetaka-murakamis-market-with-this-contract-structure&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiejqXIgM2RAxWTmSYFHQCJCREQ0PADegQIAhAL&usg=AOvVaw30U-xqpW9nrtMhpwWvqWdZ

That might clear out half the system. Where would he play lol?

Gallo or Schwarber Lite at 25-27? Massive variance there.

They aren"t getting Bichette Bregman Tucker Bellinger. What exciting hitter remains??? Especially LHed? Plus nobody even knows what to expect from Colson this year. Cholowsky RHed as well. Perfect balance with Teel and Braden.

Rumors the Rays are trying to put together a significant package for Ketel Marte.

Not enough elite velo to prove anything. Imai one of the few remaining in starting rotations that throw upper 90s, and he'll get somewhere in Cease/Valdez territory. Murakami will stay in the US even if it's just a 1-2 year prove it deal according to all reports. He believes he can get a huge contract after that at just age 26-27. Remember how rare FA's in that age range are...

And he's too old for a team at least two years away...Murakami has age and growth/potential in his favor. Two years from prime for him.

He's not going more than 2-3 years if he doesn't get 5-8 years as originally targeted. 8/$180 was the mlbtr projection. A non contender/guaranteed playing time situation away from the major media markets makes some sense. But a deal for just two years or maybe three doesn't help the Sox as much as teams like the Pirates Red Sox Reds Mariners and Padres that are in win now mode and have (quite) relatively limited budgets. Then he crushes the ball and is off to the Dodgers to replace Muncy/Freeman.

"ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote on Thursday that Fairbanks was trending towards either a multi-year deal or a one-year contract worth more than $11MM. While it’d seem counterintuitive for teams to pay more than the declined option price, that occasionally happens. Option calls are due within the first five days of the offseason. Teams may have preferred to maintain payroll flexibility until they had a better read on the market." mlbtr.com "In an appearance on Foul Territory this week, Izaac Azout of Fish On First suggested that Miami has shown a willingness to offer a one-year deal in “the mid-teens” range and floated the possibility that Miami could make a $13-14MM proposal."

espn/Passan In fact, the top five players on Kiley McDaniel's ranking of the top 50 free agents are still without a team. The ones who have signed are running about $140 million over his estimates, a difference comprised almost entirely by the three biggest deals: Dylan Cease for $210 million ($65 million over expectations), Pete Alonso for $155 million ($45 million) and Kyle Schwarber for $150 million ($22 million). McDaniel's overall projection of $3.46 billion leaves plenty of money left to be spent throughout the rest of free agency. Considering the Boston Red Sox haven't signed a player, the New York Yankees have spent just $5 million on free agents and the bottom 20 teams have spent less combined ($207 million) than the top team (Toronto Blue Jays, $277 million), there will be deals aplenty coming soon. One team that could make a last-minute jump for the player are the Padres. After re-signing veteran pitcher Michael King and South Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song, the Padres could be turning their attention to the Japanese slugger. On the December 19 edition of “Foul Territory,” Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes reported that San Diego have met with Murakami. https://heavy.com/sports/mlb/san-diego-padres/munetaka-murakami-blue-jays-mets-news/

Boston feels like tentative favorites to sign the Japanese slugger as things stand. That doesn't mean other suitors won't submit their bids. It doesn't mean that a total dark horse, such as Pittsburgh, Miami or even the White Sox, can't swoop out of nowhere and spoil Boston's plans. Breslow is clearly taking the patient, risk-averse approach to this offseason. But, the stars are well aligned, and Murakami addresses Boston's primary needs as well as any free agent left on the market. That eerie quiet around Murakami's name in the rumor mill could play right into Boston's hands. As Katie Manganelli of BoSox Injection points out, the primary argument against signing Alonso to the five-year, $155 million contract he ultimately received from Baltimore was simple: age. Murakami won't age out of his prime on his contract. In fact, he could improve over the course of it. Factor in the apparent lack of interest, and the Red Sox are in prime position to address their biggest need at a price tag even Craig Breslow can stomach. https://fansided.com/mlb/munetaka-murakami-rumors-red-sox-favored-mariners-could-blow-japan-return

Quero not listed as a trade option if the Phillips aren't able to re-sign Realmuto. "The Phils’ trade conversations may be due diligence for now. They still seem likelier than not to figure something out with Realmuto. If that doesn’t come together, speculative trade options include Pedro Pagés, J.C. Escarra, Connor Wong and Jose Trevino."

$500 million debt / $1.75 billion 28.6% But the announcement in Minnesota was just a 20% minority share allotted/allocated across three groups. White Sox $150 million debt / $1.8-2.0 billion valuation That would be just 7-8% of the team to Ishbias, plus whatever he was able to buy from minority shareholders at a $1.8 valuation. Spitball guess... Reinsdorf/sons (control shares, a surprising number reportedly sold to sons instead of Ishbias) 42% Ishbias 48% Remaining minority shareholders 10%????? We also don't know if the remaining minority shareholders were asked to pay down any of the outstanding debt (or if 100% Ishbia). OR What they would be expected to contribute to a potential new stadium??

The White Sox situation has to be quite similar. "Selling more than 20 percent of the franchise to three minority partnership groups at a $1.75 billion valuation, the Pohlad family is expected to announce this week they’ve finalized a transaction that helps a club $500 million in debt return to a sound financial footing while also requiring the addition of three seats to the team’s ownership advisory board, league sources told The Athletic." Those investments have been finalized, and the new partners in the club are Glick Family Investments, George G. Hicks and Craig Leipold. Leipold is best known to Minnesotans as the owner of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. "I don't want to get into how much of the team was sold and who is responsible for what,” Pohlad said. “I would say it was an amount that we were happy with and an amount that aimed to achieve our primary objective, which is to put this organization onto better financial footing, if you will. So with these proceeds, we're able to pay off a significant amount of debt, and that will allow us to reinvest in this team when the time is right." https://www.mlb.com/news/twins-ownership-group-welcomes-new-limited-partners