After losing Juan Soto, the New York Yankees appeared to be focused on creating a juggernaut that would plague the American League East for the next few years. That’s when they signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year deal, replacing Anthony Rizzo. Passing up longer-term answers for a one-year player is an odd choice for a squad looking to maintain its supremacy.
The immediate reaction was that GM Brian Cashman would make a move for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. While that remains a possibility, there are currently rumors that the Yankees’ front office is looking into a Japanese superstar as a long-term answer.
The Yankees are looking to sign Munetaka Murakami
According to Yankees reporter Michael Kay, the Yankees’ administration hopes to bring Japanese talent Munetaka Murakami aboard next offseason. Kay said this on ESPN:
“You need to come up with another inventive method to make yourself more appealing. You just do. Yoshinobu Yamamoto turned you down for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, [Roki] Sasaki has turned you down. Murakami, the slugging first baseman, will become a free agent at the end of this year. I know the Yankees would be thrilled to have him. That is why they do not want to sign a long-term contract with a first baseman. Will they be able to find him, or will he wind up on the West Coast?”
Murakami is one of the best sluggers in NPB history. At 24 years old, he is the youngest person to hit 200 home runs. In 2022, at the age of 22, he became the NPB’s youngest player to hit for the triple crown, producing an incredible.318/.458/.711/1.168 slash line with 134 RBIs and 56 home runs in just 487 at-bats. That season, he hit 56 home runs, setting a Japanese single-season record.
Murakami’s on-base statistics are astonishing, and he draws a large amount of walks each season. Last year was clearly a disappointing season for the 24-year-old slugger. Murakami had a.244/.379/.472/.851 batting line with 33 home runs in 500 at-bats. The 33 home runs were encouraging, but his OPS and SLG were both career lows. He hit a career-low 13 doubles and one triple last season, accounting for his low SLG. He struggled early in the year before rebounding.
Murakami is no stranger to slumps, having experienced several in recent years, including his record 2022 season. His WBC performance in 2023 was surely notable, however it was amid one of his slumps. He had a few hits, but they were important. His two-run walk-off double sent Team Japan into the finals against Team USA, where he faced Merrill Kelly:
If that isn’t the best swing you’ve ever seen, I give up. Murakami will turn 25 next season. He is now the third baseman with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, but his defense may not be adequate in the Major League Baseball to keep him there. Murakami is regarded to be a better fit at first base.
As previously said, there are considerable dangers considering his slumps in recent years. He’ll also have to adjust to the differences between the NPB and the MLB. However, his power and excellent eye at the plate will provide the Yankees with plenty of options. Plus, his left-handed bat in Yankee Stadium should be ideal for the short right porch.
