Dodgers News: NPB Slugger Munetaka Murakami Officially Posted
The Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) have officially posted infielder Munetaka Murakami
LOS ANGELES, CA—The 2025 season is officially over after the conclusion of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. Now, the 2026 offseason is in full swing with free agency offically open.
While multiple teams have several free agents hitting the market, a new man has entered the fray as slugging third baseman Munetaka Murakami was offically posted by the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Teams have until 2 p.m. PT on Monday, December 22nd, to negotiate with Murakami within a 45-day window. If he hasn’t signed by then, he will rejoin the Swallows and remain in the NPB for at least one additional season.
Any team signing Murakami must pay a fee to the Swallows: 20% on the first $25 million of a prospective contract, 17.5% on the next $25 million, and 15% on any amount exceeding $50 million.
Murakami has long been anticipated to transition to MLB, making it a highly awaited move. The 25-year-old boasts a powerful left-handed swing, rated with 70 game power and 80 raw power on the 20-80 scale.
Although his contact rate raises some concerns, his capacity to generate high velocity stands out. His profile suggests he might be a boom-or-bust hitter with a low batting average but a high slugging percentage.
Murakami has finished his eighth season in the NPB, all with the Swallows. Despite only playing 56 games due to an oblique injury, he still posted a batting line of .273/.379/.663, along with 22 doubles and 47 RBIs this year.
In 2022, Murakami set a new home run record for a Japanese player in NPB by hitting 56, surpassing Sadaharu Oh’s 55 from 1964. That season, he also won the Triple Crown, making him the youngest player in NPB history to achieve this at age 22.
Murakami is mainly a third baseman, but concerns about his glove at the hot corner suggest he will probably settle into a career at first base. Besides playing both corner infield positions, he has also had limited experience in the outfield, but does not possess the speed required to cover ground there.
Regarding the Dodgers’ interest in Murakami, the team has kept tabs on him over the last several seasons, as the organization does with many Japanese players; however, a role for him on the 2026 Dodgers and beyond seems low.
With Max Muncy at third base, Freddie Freeman at first base, and Shohei Ohtani in the DH spot, Murakami’s role if he were to choose Los Angeles would likely be a bench/platoon bat, but other teams in the bidding can offer him a starting role.
The left-handed slugger is also expected to attract interest from the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants.
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