South Side Column: What To Make Of The Murakami Signing

I am honestly shocked on varying different levels about the White Sox signing Munetaka Murakami. The first being that the team signed a player of his profile and caliber as Murakami is a superstar player from Japan. The second? For what type of player he is, the type of contract they were able to get for him. And lastly? Just having any sort of doubts.

Let's first account that Murakami's stature not only in Japan, but also across the world is that he is a superstar. This is also a sign that the Sox showed they are serious about becoming winners if they hadn't already. The Pale Hose are developing a core of young and controllable talent with great potential and that should help Murakami fit right in as he is only 25 years old. The lineup consisting of Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas, and soon to be Braden Montgomery and Chase Meidroth along with Murakami looks to be a very scary good one. Murakami has 80 grade power, so that will help a lot too especially for a lineup that didn't have much power in 2025.

Another thing to take as positive here is that the Sox are now showing a different approach by trying to tap into talent in the Pacific. The last time the Pale Hose signed anyone from Japan was Tadahito Iguchi before the 2005 season and that turned out to be a pretty good investment. But Iguchi isn't quite the same player as Murakami and the influx of recent Japanese players to come into MLB are very talented and are big contributors for their respective clubs. If the White Sox could explore the Pacific for talent just like they do in the Caribbean then it will only make things better.

However, there are some doubts. As outlined in this article, Murakami has some major struggles. Murakami strikes out a lot, more so than the average NPB hitter by a wide margin, and even has problems making contact with pitches that are 95 MPH+. While some compare his possible output to some current and past major leaguers, Murakami is also coming from a league that isn't quite at the same level as MLB. So, there's a very realistic possibility that he might flame out like Yoshitomo Tsutsugo.

That being said, the Pale Hose are not getting themselves into any financial constraints with the deal they made with Murakami. While it was projected that he would earn a five year, $100 million deal, it seemed as though other teams had reservations about signing him to a contract like that. However, in this situation, this could be a win-win for both sides, but it would be hard pressed to think the Sox would lose anything here. It seems as though Murakami is confident enough he can succeed and adjust at the MLB level to take a contract like this. If it is a successful run, either the Pale Hose could extend him or possibly trade him for a player who could help them make a better push in order to contend. If it fails, the Sox lose $34 million. That's it. This is a better deal for the club than the player, but Murakami is also taking a gamble on himself to perform well. It is likely Ryan Fuller sees the problem in his swing that will be worked on before the season starts that will make him a successful hitter and that's why Murakami is betting on himself as he seems confident that he'll adjust well to the MLB. Murakami is confident in his abilities to become a feared MLB slugger. What also makes this investment so important is also how this will attract more attention to the team itself and when that happens, more money comes in. There will be people in Japan who are not only fans of watching a Japanese player in the MLB, but a lot of Murakami fans per se. More attention is only going to make the franchise more money as now the Sox will be one of the few ballclubs in MLB that will have a Japanese fanbase and focus from the Asian Pacific island. That will attract more fans and possibly more talent.

Needless to say, there is a lot to think about here. I can see his power translating well to MLB as well as his on base percentage. I have no idea if he will become the next Tsutsugo, but even if he does become a bust then the Sox have shown how aggressive they are in improving their ballclub and becoming legit contenders without losing a ton of money. Murakami will have the ability to not have much pressure on him as he will be playing for a team still rebuilding, however, there is a lot of players in the lineup that should help him get pitches to hit as he will have Vargas, Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert, Quero, Teel, and Montgomery surrounding him. Murakami should have the ability to hit. Frankly, the chatter about him being a great slugger meaning the Sox won't keep him is ridiculous. It's clear the approach the ballclub is more aggressive and is looking to win a championship soon, so if Murakami does become that left handed power bat they've needed for a while then I can actually see the Pale Hose signing him to a five or six year deal worth over $100 million. Why? Because then they'll lock up Murakami in the prime years of his career that would maximize as much productivity from him as possible before a decline occurs.

I am still not totally sold on Murakami. Personally I would've invested money in Kazuma Okamoto before him because of the consistency that he showed over Murakami plus his great defensive metrics, good power, and ability to get on base. Seemed like a no brainer to me, but Okamoto is significantly older and the Sox wouldn't be able to maximize that absolute most of out of his prime considering his age. Also being right handed didn't help. That being said, as outlined in this column, there is A LOT to like here as it seems like this could be an excellent move on everyone's part. If Murakami hits like Kyle Schwarber, then this is a steal and the Sox should be lining up an extension. If it's a failure, oh well, lets find the next one. I do also think the Sox should be aggressive once more and also sign Okamoto. If that's the case, then someone is going to get moved which might make sense considering the Robert trade rumors. That being said, Murakami represents a new day for White Sox baseball as this could mean the club is finally going to be that one team that is actively pursuing to trying to get better everyday with every resource they possibly have. Let's also hope Murakami proves me wrong.