Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami is entering Major League Baseball’s posting system. He will be available for teams to sign as a free agent starting Saturday…<\/p>\n
NEW YORK(AP) \u2014 Power-hitting Japanese corner infielder Munetaka Murakami is entering Major League Baseball’s posting system and will be available to teams to sign as a free agent from Saturday through Dec. 22.<\/p>\n
Murakami, who turns 26 on Feb. 2, was the Central League’s MVP in 2021 and ’22 with the Yakult Swallows and is a four-time All-Star.<\/p>\n
He batted .273 with 22 homers and 47 RBIs this season, limited to 56 games by an oblique injury. He struck out 64 times. <\/p>\n
Murakami hit 56 homers in 2022 to break Sadaharu Oh\u2019s record for a Japanese-born player in Nippon Professional Baseball while becoming the youngest player to earn Japan\u2019s Triple Crown. He topped 30 homers in four straight years before an injury-interrupted season in 2023.<\/p>\n
He has a .270 career average with 246 homers, 647 RBIs and 977 strikeouts in 892 games over eight Central League seasons, all with the Swallows.<\/p>\n
After playing primarily at first base in 2019 and 2020, he has spent most of his time since at third.<\/p>\n
At the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Murakami hit a ninth-inning walk-off double off Giovanny Gallegos that scored Shohei Ohtani and Masataka Yoshida to give Japan a 6-5 semifinal win over Mexico<\/a>. The following day in the championship game, Murakami hit a tying home run off Merrill Kelly in the second inning and Japan went on to beat the United States 3-2<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under the agreement between MLB and NPB, the posting fee will be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would be a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.<\/p>\n