The Tokyo Yakult Swallows have posted infielder Munetaka Murakami for MLB teams, opening a 45-day negotiating window starting Saturday. The 25-year-old slugger, known for his record-breaking power in Nippon Professional Baseball, will have until December 22 to sign with a Major League club. If unsigned, he returns to the Swallows.
Munetaka Murakami's path to Major League Baseball became official on Friday when the Tokyo Yakult Swallows informed all 30 MLB clubs of his posting. His negotiating period begins at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday and ends at 5 p.m. ET on December 22. This move follows reports from last December that 2025 would be his final season in NPB, confirmed by Swallows president Tetsuya Hayashida in June, who stated the club was willing to post the two-time Central League MVP and four-time All-Star.
Murakami, a 6-foot-2, 213-pound left-handed hitter, has spent eight seasons with the Swallows, primarily at third base but also seeing time at first. He has hit 246 home runs in 892 games with a .270 average. His standout 2022 season saw him launch 56 homers, breaking Sadaharu Oh's 58-year-old NPB record for a Japanese-born player, while winning the Triple Crown at age 22—the youngest in league history.
Injuries limited Murakami to 56 games in 2025, where he still managed 22 home runs, 47 RBIs, and a 1.043 OPS. However, concerns linger over his strikeout rate, which has climbed to 28.1-29.5 percent in recent seasons, including 180 strikeouts in 610 plate appearances in 2024. His walk rate also dipped to 14.3 percent last year from a career-high 19.3 percent in 2022. A scout praised his power, saying, 'He has legit power. It should translate to the Majors.' An AL executive noted potential drawbacks: 'The strikeout and walk numbers may scare some teams away. He has big power, but there appear to be a lot of holes in that swing.'
Interest is expected from teams like the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Phillies, Giants, and Red Sox, who see him fitting at first or third base amid their roster needs. As one of two Japanese sluggers likely posted this winter—alongside Kazuma Okamoto—Murakami could command a deal surpassing previous NPB position player contracts, such as Masataka Yoshida's five-year, $90 million pact. Any signing team will pay a posting fee to the Swallows based on contract value.
