caulfield12

I think it was more about the similar salary levels and the brighter spotlight of the NY media on the two teams, in comparison to Chicago, that actually fields a competitive NFL team these days but has largely forgotten the White Sox.

Cutting into that $1 million signing bonus already. He was making $4.5-5 million for Yakult and at least doubling that with endorsements.

https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/next-wave-of-white-sox-prospects-nearly-ready-for-majors?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage We get a puff piece on Sox prospects (no Braden early in the season confirmed) and nothing on MLB Network but a David Wells no hitter rebroadcast.

Probably a lot more coverage in Japan even at 2 am in the morning... Weird not to have on the Sox website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DnDIm8EBNwEM&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiYsZmzwNGRAxVJIkQIHcOqGYUQFnoECAsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3ye749KOw0AwwDf4I9ENz6

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/penn-state-baseball-signs-one-of-the-top-arms-in-japan-for-2027/ar-AA1SPAWJ?ocid=BingNewsSerp Not even sure where this goes....we don't have a 2027 draft thread (yet) Genai Sado already has first round buzz around him, including headline stories at mob and baseballamerica. Also, the A's gave $1.5 million to a Japanese two way prep prospects who held his own in the Arizona Complex League

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/previewing-the-2025-26-free-agent-class-corner-outfield.html Andujar Conforto Grichuk Hays Kepler Marte Refsnyder Winker Bader's going to be over $10 million

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.