Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, a prolific power hitter, is available to MLB teams. Could the Cubs seize this opportunity to sign him?
One of the best hitters in Japan was posted by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Friday morning. Munetaka Murakami played eight seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 2018 to 2025, posting strong numbers throughout his career overseas.
All 30 teams will now be able to negotiate with Murakami, and he will have until December 22 at 5 p.m. ET to accept a deal from a Major League team. The expectation is that the 25-year-old will draw a ton of interest from teams around the league.
Murakami is one of the better power hitters that MLB teams have seen from Japan. He hit 36 home runs with 96 RBI as a 19-year-old in 2019 and then launched a career-high 56 homers with 134 RBI during his 2023 season.
Considering Murakami has hit at least 30 home runs in four of his past five seasons in the NPB, he should draw plenty of interest from teams around the Majors. The only season he didn’t hit over 30 home runs during this stretch was in 2025.
Murakami missed most of this past season due to an oblique injury. However, he still provided above-average power numbers when he was healthy. The 25-year-old hit 24 home runs with 52 RBI and an OPS north of 1.050 across 69 games.
This is the type of player the Cubs could definitely use in their lineup in 2026 and beyond. His power in the middle of that lineup would immediately elevate a Chicago offense that was already one of the best in the league.
Murakami has primarily played third base over his NPB career, which would definitely take away at-bats from Matt Shaw. The Japanese slugger could also see some opportunities at first base and at designated hitter.
But it appears the Cubs aren’t a potential suitor for him at this time.
In Mark Feinsand's story on MLB.com, he listed the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Phillies, Giants, and Red Sox as potential clubs that are expected to be interested in the Japanese sensation this winter.
We are only in the early stages of Murakami's posting, and a lot can change over the next month. The Cubs have also been in on several Japanese players in recent years, including Seiya Suzuki (2022), Shota Imanaga (2024), and Roki Sasaki (2025).
Therefore, the Cubs should at least show some interest in one of the best power hitters the Japanese league has produced. Murakami is a four-time All-Star, two-time Central League MVP, and a one-time Triple Crown winner (2022) in the NPB.
The Cubs should be all over him this winter -- even though he had a crazy high whiff rate throughout his NPB career.