Japanese third baseman Munetaka Murakami is joining the Chicago White Sox on a two-year contract worth $34 million, reports ESPN. The team has not yet announced the signing. The $34 million contract is well beneath expectations for Murakami, pointing to a weak market for his services. It's significantly less than the $90 million deal the Boston Red Sox handed Masataka Yoshida three years ago that remains the richest contract given to a Japanese position player. Murakami, 26 in February, has been the top power hitter in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball the last several years, and that includes slugging 22 home runs in 56 games around elbow surgery and an oblique strain in 2025. He has...
