The next potential Japanese superstar in Major League Baseball is now available to the 30 clubs.
Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yakult Swallows have posted Munetaka Murakami, with the power-hitting corner infielder available as a free agent between now and Dec. 22. Murakami is one of the most notable names in this offseason’s player market in MLB, but also one of the bigger question marks.
While Murakami was limited to just 56 games in 2025 due to an oblique injury, he has developed an impressive resume before he hits his 26th birthday in February. He is a two-time Central League Most Valuable Player in Japan, and won the Triple Crown in 2022. That same year, he also hit 56 home runs to break Sadaharu Oh’s single-season league record by a Japanese-born player.
He also was a key figure in Japan’s march to the 2023 World Baseball Classic title. Murakami’s deliberations will be closely watched as the Dodgers’ repeat championship in 2025 was fueled heavily by Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the World Series Most Valuable Player.
The Dodgers landed Sasaki last offseason, and after an up-and-down regular season, Sasaki was an impact player during the team’s postseason run. Because Sasaki was just 23 when he was posted last year by his NPB club, he was classified as an international amateur free agent, and was subject to bonus pool limits imposed on MLB teams. Sasaki received a $6.5 million signing bonus and a major league-minimum salary of $760,000 in 2025—figures far below his talent and on-field contributions.
The Murakami situation will be far different. Since he has already turned 25, he will be exempt from those international bonus pool restrictions. As a result, he is expected to command a nine-figure deal from a MLB club. The team that signs Murakami will also pay the Swallows a posting fee equal to 20% for the first $25 million of the contract, 17.5% for the next $25 million, and an additional 15% on every dollar above $50 million.
Murakami, however, will also need to adjust to the harder-throwing nature of MLB pitchers compared to NPB play. Despite his success in Japan and a slugger with exit velocities among the very best of anybody in the world, he hit just .095 last season on pitches 93 miles per hour or faster. That is a level now just below the average MLB fastball.
