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

[Autumn Dreamin]

Not saying he's the source of this quote, but Phil Nevin was with Mune at 1B quite a bit today.

He spoke a little to the press about their scouting efforts on Murakami and implied the bat is more impressive in person. Seems to be well liked by the Japanese media from his time with the Shohei Angels.

[WestEddy]

Anthony Kay on facing Murakami

 

New White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay faced Munetaka Murakami in Japan.

His scouting report:
“He’s got probably the most power I’ve ever seen.”https://t.co/gHXRk5PEcE 🎙🎧🌵 pic.twitter.com/xO7mzz8Z8D

— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) February 11, 2026

 

[Eminor3rd]

19 hours ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

Japanese media says 8 HR in 29 swings for Mune's BP, with that last one to RF clearing 420+ 

They're also reporting a change in his swing to cut down on the leg kick. Shohei made a similar adjustment when coming over with swing and miss concerns.

For anyone who doesn’t know, the Japanese media reports on BP sessions and especially preseason bullpen sessions with painstaking detail. It’s a strange non-sequitur, almost like the MLB tradition of reporting that every player is in the best shape of their lives as if it bears an outsized influence on how the season will go.

Reduced leg kick is an interesting observation. 

[chitownsportsfan]

3 minutes ago, Eminor3rd said:

For anyone who doesn’t know, the Japanese media reports on BP sessions and especially preseason bullpen sessions with painstaking detail. It’s a strange non-sequitur, almost like the MLB tradition of reporting that every player is in the best shape of their lives as if it bears an outsized influence on how the season will go.

Reduced leg kick is an interesting observation. 

I thought it was just a common BP drill, work on balance. I would be fairly surprised if the Sox had him working on swing changes in February 11, but maybe they are. 

[BrittBurnsFan]

I apologize if this is answered somewhere in the 30 pages...but do the White Sox control Murakami for just the 2 years in the contract or do they have 6 years of control?  

[almagest]

9 minutes ago, BrittBurnsFan said:

I apologize if this is answered somewhere in the 30 pages...but do the White Sox control Murakami for just the 2 years in the contract or do they have 6 years of control?  

2 years only

[Autumn Dreamin]

1 hour ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I thought it was just a common BP drill, work on balance. I would be fairly surprised if the Sox had him working on swing changes in February 11, but maybe they are. 

It could be something Mune flagged for himself to get a head start on based on the experience of Shohei and others.

Kelenic is working on a similar shift towards a toe tap, and Beni made one previously.

[BrittBurnsFan]

1 hour ago, almagest said:

2 years only

Thanks...are international signings different than the standard 6 seasons of control?  Or does a contract like this one state specifically after 2 seasons he is a free agent?  

[chitownsportsfan]

2 minutes ago, BrittBurnsFan said:

Thanks...are international signings different than the standard 6 seasons of control?  Or does a contract like this one state specifically after 2 seasons he is a free agent?  

He signed a MLB deal. A standard MiLB deal grants an international the same arb schedule as a domestic draftee I believe. But those aren't being handed out to mid 20s Japanese stars.

[BrittBurnsFan]

5 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

He signed a MLB deal. A standard MiLB deal grants an international the same arb schedule as a domestic draftee I believe. But those aren't being handed out to mid 20s Japanese stars.

Thanks!  I was wondering how arbitration might go with a guy in this situation...guess the answer is "there won't be arbitration"!  Again...thanks for the info!

[chitownsportsfan]

19 minutes ago, BrittBurnsFan said:

Thanks!  I was wondering how arbitration might go with a guy in this situation...guess the answer is "there won't be arbitration"!  Again...thanks for the info!

I only know this because of OOTP. In OOTP 20 at least you can sometimes sign a Japanese player to a MiLB contract that then converts to a standard pre arb contract. It's a bit of an exploit as the CPU usually will undervalue them in the game and not offerthem a MLB contract, so if they are not signed come December you can swoop in with a low ball.

[Timmy U]

4 hours ago, Eminor3rd said:

For anyone who doesn’t know, the Japanese media reports on BP sessions and especially preseason bullpen sessions with painstaking detail. It’s a strange non-sequitur, almost like the MLB tradition of reporting that every player is in the best shape of their lives as if it bears an outsized influence on how the season will go.

Reduced leg kick is an interesting observation. 

Reporting was when he signed that Sox wanted to lower/eliminate the leg kick and make it more of a toe tap. If you want to hit velocity consistently, getting rid of the leg kick is a great place to start. 

[Autumn Dreamin]