How about another Japanese hitter for the Cubs?
Thanks to BCB reader JayWent, who suggested I write an article about Japanese third baseman Munetaka Murakami and the chances the Cubs might be interested in him.
Murakami is listed at 6-2, 213, which makes him a pretty large man for a Japanese player. By comparison, Seiya Suzuki is 6-0 and 182.
Murakami bats left-handed and primarily plays third base, but also has played a handful of games at first base for his NPB team, the Yakult Swallows. He was injured much of 2025 and played in just 56 games, but the power remained, as he batted .273/.379/.663 with 22 home runs in just 187 at-bats. His career home run high came in 2022, when he hit 56 home runs in 141 games. Overall he’s batted .270/.394/.557 with 246 home runs in 892 career NPB games, which is an excellent home run rate.
He’s also just 25 (turns 26 in February), so he could potentially rate a long-term deal.
What’s not to like? Here’s what’s not to like:
Murakami’s K’s have ballooned in the three seasons since his record-setting year. That resulted in a dip in production at the plate in 2023 and ’24 (Murakami was still very good as a hitter, just not historically good), and even stayed true in 2025, when his offensive numbers rebounded.
Those underlying numbers — high swing-and-miss, high strikeouts, low contact — are the No. 1 concern with Murakami as an MLB hitter.
A high K rate in NPB is likely to translate into a high K rate in MLB. If a team is willing to deal with the strikeouts, they could be signing a 30+ home run hitter who can play a good third base — perhaps a comparable player to Eugenio Suárez, who also hits lots of homers and strikes out a lot, and who is eight years older.
MLB Trade Rumors says Murakami might get an eight-year, $180 million deal. That’s an AAV of $22.5 million, which the Cubs could easily afford and still stay under the first luxury tax level. Also, since Murakami was posted Nov. 7, his posting window ends at 4 p.m. Dec. 22, next Monday. Here’s more on Murakami’s NPB history from Gabe Lacques of USA Today.
Despite the concerns about Murakami’s K rate, I think I’d almost rather do this than sign Alex Bregman. Murakami could be a long-term solution for the Cubs at third base.
Here’s a video talking about Murakami and showing some NPB highlights.
And here’s his home run in the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship game off Merrill Kelly:
Category: General Sports
