Per Passan: White Sox sign Munetaka Murakami 2 years 34M

[WestEddy]

2 hours ago, poppysox said:

I am delighted to have a player mentioned in the same breath as Ohtani.😄

Ohtani and Jonathan Cannon are both pro baseball pitchers. 

There, now you have two. 

[WhiteSox2023]

15 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Ohtani and Jonathan Cannon are both pro baseball pitchers. 

There, now you have two. 

Except one is worth 7.7 bWAR and the other is worth -0.6.  Cannon is not deserving of being in the majors.

[WestEddy]

39 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Except one is worth 7.7 bWAR and the other is worth -0.6.  Cannon is not deserving of being in the majors.

Good job. We're all going to have to step on each other's jokes a lot for the next month while Caulfield is on his self-imposed hiatus. Maybe @Bob Sacamano will want to help out by referencing a list of 80's era Cub players who have absolutely nothing to do with the convo. Do you even know who's going to be the 2033 Game 3 World Series starter for the Sox? Is he even in the system? 

Ohtani also made an impact on the mound for LA, making his return to pitching in June after an almost two-year layoff, following two procedures, including one to repair the right ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow and his left shoulder last offseason. In 14 starts, he went 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA and had 62 strikeouts.

The second-straight MVP award comes after posting a historic season last year in which he became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single campaign.

cnn.com

 

Edited Friday at 02:56 AM by WestEddy

[tray]

I think I heard on one of the Sox podcasts that just after Getz learned that a deal for Murakami was finalized, he called Ishbia. If so, I wonder if the Sox, with Ishbia backing, could beat out the Cubs and get Imai. That would really be the shot heard 'round the baseball world.

[ChiSoxFanMike]

1 hour ago, tray said:

I think I heard on one of the Sox podcasts that just after Getz learned that a deal for Murakami was finalized, he called Ishbia. If so, I wonder if the Sox, with Ishbia backing, could beat out the Cubs and get Imai. That would really be the shot heard 'round the baseball world.

I would be stunned if the Sox paid as much for an unproven pitcher as Imai will likely get. Though to your point, that could no longer be the case if Ishbia is involved.

[WhiteSox2023]

4 hours ago, tray said:

I think I heard on one of the Sox podcasts that just after Getz learned that a deal for Murakami was finalized, he called Ishbia. If so, I wonder if the Sox, with Ishbia backing, could beat out the Cubs and get Imai. That would really be the shot heard 'round the baseball world.

Imani is estimated to be looking at a deal worth $150+ million so I doubt that will be the case.  The Cubs may balk at that price as well.

Edited Friday at 08:08 PM by WhiteSox2023

[46DidIt]

44 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Imani is estimated to be looking at a deal worth $150+ million so I doubt that will be the case.  The Cubs may balk at that price as well.

As was Munetaka

Edited Friday at 08:51 PM by 46DidIt

[Lip Man 1]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6908883/2025/12/21/white-sox-munetaka-murakami-signing-analysis/?source=athletic_freeweeklyemail&campaign=602288&userId=602876

[tray]

I enjoyed Chuck Garfein's comments in the face of some aggressive and understandable questioning by AJ including past and future spending on player contracts.

Anyway, I enjoyed the bantar.

 

 

 

 

[WhiteSox2023]

Okamoto is in the US this week for final in-person meetings.  He has meetings set up with the Blue Jays, Cubs, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres, Angels, and Pirates.  No mention of the White Sox.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b15139f58e9e44f3d810871e2b180ac211726231

Edited 23 hours ago by WhiteSox2023

[Buehrle>Wood]

12 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Okamoto is in the US this week for final in-person meetings.  He has meetings set up with the Blue Jays, Cubs, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres, Angels, and Pirates.  No mention of the White Sox.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b15139f58e9e44f3d810871e2b180ac211726231

The article just mentions Padres, Pirates and Angels and its taking it from this tweet. He has no meetings set-up per that link yet. The other teams are mentioned seemingly as speculation from an old MLB Trade Rumors article on if they miss out on Bregman (?).

 

https://x.com/i/status/2005298697425633589

[WhiteSox2023]

10 minutes ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

The article just mentions Padres, Pirates and Angels and its taking it from this tweet. He has no meetings set-up per that link yet. The other teams are mentioned seemingly as speculation from an old MLB Trade Rumors article on if they miss out on Bregman (?).

 

 

NBC Sports is reporting otherwise, per a Yahoo Japan article.  Since I can’t read the article, here is what they said:

https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/baseball/player-news?playerNewsId=0000019b-6b62-d35e-a1bf-6fe25b5c0000


Here is what MLB Trade Rumors is saying:

“Kazuma Okamoto Travels To U.S. For In-Person Meetings With Teams”

Edited 23 hours ago by WhiteSox2023

[Buehrle>Wood]

29 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

NBC Sports is reporting otherwise, per a Yahoo Japan article.  Since I can’t read the article, here is what they said:

https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/baseball/player-news?playerNewsId=0000019b-6b62-d35e-a1bf-6fe25b5c0000


Here is what MLB Trade Rumors is saying:

“Kazuma Okamoto Travels To U.S. For In-Person Meetings With Teams”

I'm not really sure then other than I'd guess it's some circular reporting/bad translations. Either way, cant imagine Sox do anything here despite me believing he was #1 priority coming into the offseason. 

[southsider2k5]

58 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Okamoto is in the US this week for final in-person meetings.  He has meetings set up with the Blue Jays, Cubs, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres, Angels, and Pirates.  No mention of the White Sox.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b15139f58e9e44f3d810871e2b180ac211726231

The Sox weren't in the discussions with the other guy either until his price fell to a fraction of expectations, aka the Jerry special.

[Buehrle>Wood]

5 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

The Sox weren't in the discussions with the other guy either until his price fell to a fraction of expectations, aka the Jerry special.

They were interested in Okamoto though. I believe he was #1 priority until Murakami's price somehow got down to what they thought Okamoto's price would be.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

On 12/22/2025 at 4:55 PM, caulfield12 said:

The rest of the world still doesn't know the White Sox are coming...not until they are at least out of fifth place.

That said, purely from a marketing perspective, this was the best possible allocation of $34 million by far.

 

If they were really trying to compete, though...Imai would be getting $130-$200 million.

Which is the same amount of $$$ they were willing to spend on Masahiro Tanaka over a decade ago.

The Imai market is moving very slow . Imai made a translated  tweet yesterday that supposedly said that he's received 0 formal offers yet . 

 He may not get $130M which seems to be your minimum expected salary. 

The length of the deal will surely be the determining factor. 

The starting pitcher market is slow developing and the general feeling among owners is that Cease got too much and some agents may be waiting to see what Imai gets before they finalize any deals for their clients. 

Owners may be trying to "correct" the SP market prices by keeping Imai years and AAV in the 4/5 years $22-25M range as an unproven arm. Doubt there's much chance the Sox can sneak into the Imai negotiations unless Ishbia truly is involved and I don't trust the 1 rumor that he was called by Getz after the Murakami signing.

https://fansided.com/mlb/mlb-rumors-tatsuya-imai-shocker-tigers-bregman-bummer-red-sox-options

Edited 22 hours ago by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

On 12/22/2025 at 11:36 AM, chitownsportsfan said:

You gotta wonder how much is left of JRs brain after that quote. 

Im not sure what's so embarassing or funny about that quote. 

As owner, JR should be brought up to speed from his marketing department and GM about the on field and marketing implications involved with signing Murakami. This is something the Sox have never done before.

This isnt Ohtani or LA so can anyone truly know how much this signing may mean as to increased revenue  from various sources yet ? 

If it was expected to make that much of a difference why wouldn't someone else outbid the Sox ? 

Boyer is going to have to earn his money if there are Japanese sponsorships and advertising and season ticket revenue out there from the Murakami signing. This is just what  corporations do before an unexpected major transaction since it all happened so quickly. 

[tray]

3 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Im not sure what's so embarassing or funny about that quote. 

As owner, JR should be brought up to speed from his marketing department and GM about the on field and marketing implications involved with signing Murakami. This is something the Sox have never done before.

This isnt Ohtani or LA so can anyone truly know how much this signing may mean as to increased revenue  from various sources yet ? 

If it was expected to make that much of a difference why wouldn't someone else outbid the Sox ? 

Boyer is going to have to earn his money if there are Japanese sponsorships and advertising and season ticket revenue out there from the Murakami signing. This is just what  corporations do before an unexpected major transaction since it all happened so quickly. 

The excitement about Murakami coming to the WSox probably has little to do with the fact that he is coming from Japan.  Reinsdorf already knows how one player or a couple of new players could excite the Sox  fan base....which begs the question, "why hasn't he done it more often?" Consider when he brought Fisk in from Boston. Fans went crazy on Opening Day in Comiskey in 1981. Fisk had already homered at Fenway in their Opener. Fisk responded again in Chicago with a grand slam home run.  As we now know, Fisk, Luzinski and Kittle all became fan favorites and made us occasionally wear the ugly '83 uniforms.  The roof shot home runs from those guys drew fans into the park.   So if Murakami, Colson, et. al. hit some bombs, more fans will come  for the show.

 

Edited 18 hours ago by tray

[tray]

On the same point, the '77 WSox Hitmen were so much fun to watch and in this day and age, would have drawn even more fans. The atmosphere in the stands back then was crazy.

 

[CWSpalehoseCWS]

I can't see Jerry allowing any more big ticket signings with Robert still on the payroll. Okamoto doesn't really fit here anyways unless the Sox are seriously considering Murakami at 3B. I'd love if Ishbia stepped in and aggressively went after Imai. He is arguable the best of the 4 coming over from Japan this offseason and would give the Sox a legitimate ace starter.

[ChiSoxFanMike]

6 minutes ago, CWSpalehoseCWS said:

I can't see Jerry allowing any more big ticket signings with Robert still on the payroll. Okamoto doesn't really fit here anyways unless the Sox are seriously considering Murakami at 3B. I'd love if Ishbia stepped in and aggressively went after Imai. He is arguable the best of the 4 coming over from Japan this offseason and would give the Sox a legitimate ace starter.

The crazy thing is that the payroll still wouldn’t be that high even if they did sign Imai. 

[fathom]

2 hours ago, ChiSoxFanMike said:

The crazy thing is that the payroll still wouldn’t be that high even if they did sign Imai. 

NBB said the Mune signing was a special exception.

[Bob Sacamano]

7 hours ago, fathom said:

NBB said the Mune signing was a special exception.

I figured that. No way they were in on him until his market wasn’t there.

Maybe the same can happen with Imai. Obviously not as cheap and short but still. Give him a deal similarly structured to Imanaga’s deal.

Edited 5 hours ago by Bob Sacamano

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

7 hours ago, fathom said:

NBB said the Mune signing was a special exception.

Imagine having to beg for an exception to sign a guy for 34 million total in the modern game.

[Y2Jimmy0]

54 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Imagine having to beg for an exception to sign a guy for 34 million total in the modern game.

Totally agree. And bragging about it was so embarrassing