Munetaka Murakami, a former MVP in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, is expected to be one of the most highly-coveted corner infielders next offseason
The Seattle Mariners are attempting to do something the franchise has never accomplished: make (and win) a World Series. The Mariners will have an opportunity to continue that endeavor in a win-or-go-home Game 5 of an American League Divisional Series against the Detroit Tigers at 5:08 p.m. PT/8:08 p.m. ET on Friday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
The Mariners found themselves in the ALDS after clinching the No. 2 seed and winning the American League West. It was the first divisional title for the M's since 2001.
A large part of Seattle advancing to this point was the midseason trade acquisitions of first baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
Suarez finished the season with 91 runs in 159 games with the Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. He hit 28 doubles and 49 homer runs with 118 RBIs and slashed .228/.298/.526 with an .824 OPS.
Naylor scored 32 times in 54 games with Seattle and hit 10 doubles and nine homers with 33 RBIs. He slashed .299/.341/.490 with an .831 OPS and was a perfect 19-for-19 in stolen base attempts.
Both players are set to be unrestricted free agents after this season. Barring one of the two signing a new deal to return to the Pacific Northwest, the Mariners will be in search of starters at first and third base for 2026.
According to a top new outlet from Japan, Seattle could find that replacement in the form of the best international player expected to be available next offseason.
Munetaka Murakami, who currently plays for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, is expected to be posted and be eligible to sign with an MLB team next offseason.
Murakami is a two-time Central League MVP, one-time Triple Crown winner, four-time NPB All-Star, one-time Japan Series winner and won two gold medals with Team Japan in the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2023 World Baseball Classic.
In eight seasons in NPB, Murakami scored 535 runs in 892 games and hit 146 doubles, four triples and 246 home runs with 722 RBIs. He slashed .270/.394/.557 with a .951 OPS.
According to an article from Nikkan Sports, there are four teams who are the "leading contenders" to land Murakami's services: the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Mariners.
Murakami is capable of playing first or third base, which would allow Seattle flexibility to try him out at either position and building around that.
If the Mariners do manage to land Murakami, he would be arguably the franchise's biggest Japanese signing since 2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ichiro Suzuki.
Murakami has been one of (if not the most) prolific power-hitters in NPB since he debuted. Signing him to replace either Naylor or Suarez would help offset some the power the organization would be losing if one, or both, walked in the offseason (69 home runs total between the two of them).
Murakami's services won't come cheap, though. Nikkan Sports reports a deal for Murakami would be worth around $200 million. That would be the largest contract Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has given a free agent since he joined the front office in 2015.
Nikkan Sports also reported that several teams aside from the "leading contenders" are interested in the slugging corner infielder, which would open the doors to a bidding war.
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