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In a major move for their rebuilding roster, the American League club have welcomed Japanese star Munetaka Murakami, finalizing a two-year contract with the high-profile player.

Deal Structure and Added Benefits

The contract features a $1 million signing bonus, issued within 30 days, in addition to salaries of $16M for the upcoming season and $17M for the 2027 year.

Importantly, Murakami's 2027 salary can increase based on award achievements in 2026:

• A seven-figure bonus for earning the MVP award.
• Half a million dollars for finishing second or third in MVP voting.
• A quarter-million for finishing between fourth and tenth.
• $250,000 for being named the Rookie of the Year honor.

His deal provides that he cannot be sent to the minor leagues without his approval and grants him a unrestricted player at the conclusion of the term. Extra provisions include a team-provided interpreter and travel costs between the U.S. and Japan.

Posting Fee and Franchise History

As part of the signing, Chicago owes a transfer fee of over $6.5 million to the Yakult Swallows, Murakami's former team in Japan's professional league. The Yakult organization get a additional payment of fifteen percent triggered salary escalators.

Murakami is set to become the fourth-ever Japanese to play for the South Siders, in the footsteps of reliever Shingo Takatsu (2004-05), infielder Tadahito Iguchi (2005-07), and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (2012). Of note, Takatsu was a manager for Murakami back in Japan.

Player Profile

Murakami, a left-handed hitter who turns 26 on February 2nd, bolsters a emerging core of hitters in Chicago that contains prospects like Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, and Chase Meidroth. The team are coming off a last-place season, finishing at the bottom in the AL Central but representing a notable improvement from the prior campaign.

A two-time Central League MVP honors in '21 and '22, Murakami made history with a monumental 2022 season where he launched 56 home runs, surpassing the longstanding record for a Japanese-born player previously held by icon Sadaharu Oh. That performance also made him the youngest player ever to secure Japan's prestigious Triple Crown.

His most recent NPB campaign was curtailed to a partial schedule due to an oblique injury. Despite fanning 64 times, he still managed .273 with 22 homers and 47 driven in.

Over his eight-season tenure with the Yakult club, Murakami has compiled a .270 batting average with 246 homers, 647 RBIs, and nearly 1,000 strikeouts in 892 games. Early in his career playing mostly at first base, he has since transitioned to the hot corner.

International Pedigree

Murakami's big-game performance were on full display during the 2023 WBC. In the semi-final against Mexico, he delivered a walk-off two-base hit that brought home teammates for a dramatic 6-5 win. The very next day in the title match against the Team USA, he slugged a game-tying home run in the early innings, setting the stage for Japan's 3-2 title triumph.

The power hitter is scheduled to be officially presented at a introductory event on Monday.