Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan third baseman Munetaka Murakami (55) looks on after hitting a home run during the second inning against USA at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY SportsThe Los Angeles Dodgers already have arguably the two best Japanese-born players in Major League Baseball, and one of them is doing his part to add a third to the mix.
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto recently enjoyed a dinner date with Japanese free agent Munetaka Murakami. A photo surfaced on social media that has fans buzzing, mostly about the possibility of the Dodgers making yet another massive splash in free agency.
Murakami plays for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and is known as Nippon Professional Baseball’s home run king. He is just 25 years old and already has 246 career homers over eight seasons. Murakama has batted .270/.394/.557 with a 16 percent walk rate in his career. His 2022 campaign shattered records with 56 home runs.
If and when Murakami signs an MLB contract, he is widely expected to command a nine-figure deal with a posting fee that is somewhere in the range of $20-25 million. He can play both first and third base, which will only add to the appeal for teams.
The Dodgers are coming off back-to-back World Series titles. They signed Yamamoto to a 10-year, $325 million contract that included a $50.6 million posting fee prior to the 2024 season. That was the same offseason they signed Shohei Ohtani, another Japanese phenom, to a 10-year, $700 million deal.
There are at least three other teams that are viewed as potential suitors for Murakami, but no one would be shocked if he wound up with the Dodgers.
