Can the Pirates pull this off?
The Pittsburgh Pirates have made it clear that they want to spend big during the offseason to improve their offense that finished dead last in runs scored in 2025. Pittsburgh along with several other ball clubs are looking to sign Munteaka Murakami, the top free-agent from the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that Pittsburgh along with Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Toronto and Detroit have all showed interest in signing Murakami. MLB clubs have until Dec.22 to sign Murakami. If he is not signed by 5 p.m. he will return to the NPB to rejoin the Tokyo Yakult Swallows for the 2026 season.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that there is no clear frontrunner for Murakami.
“No one seems to know who is on him, and no one seems to know where this might end up, what the money would be, what teams truly are interested,” Rosenthal said. “But, he is someone that I do expect will be with a major-league club next season.”
In recent history Pittsburgh is certainly the smallest and most conservative team in the Murakami sweepstakes. The last time the team signed a free-agent to a multi-year contract was in 2016 when the Pirates signed pitcher Ivan Nova to a three-year contract. The team has made claims that this offseason they would be looking to land a big time free-agent or trade acquisition but so far have come up with nothing.
The Pirates were reportedly all in on Kyle Schwarber, offering him a four-year, $125 million contract. Schwarber ultimately resigned with Philadelphia for less money per season. Pittsburgh was also tied to Pete Alonso and Jorge Polanco, but they wound up joining the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets respectively. To this point, it has been all talk from the club that is desperate to add a power hitter to their lineup.
With Murakami in a team’s lineup, they instantly add more power and more runs. The Japanese slugger has never hit less than 18 homers in a season since beginning his professional career as an 18-year-old, and has only hit less than 30 home runs in two out of his eight seasons in NPB. Oneil Cruz led the Pirates in home runs last season with just 20.
Murakami has plenty of individual success to go along with plenty of team success as well. He was named Central League Rookie of the Year in 2019 and was awarded his first MVP in 2021, the same season he helped lead the Swallows to the Japan Series title.
In 2022, he broke the NPB record for most home runs hit in a single season by a Japanese born player with 56, breaking Sadaharu Oh’s record of 55 home runs in 1964. That same season he won the MVP unanimously and also the Triple Crown.
Clearly there is a reason MLB teams are clamoring for Murakami’s talents. At just 25-years-old he can join any team and be a part of their core for the future. For the Pirates he adds an instant level of offense that the team has not had in several years. Murakami could join the Pirates tomorrow and instantly be a candidate to start at either third base, first base, or be the team’s designated hitter.
With less than a week left before his posting expires, the Murakami sweepstakes should be heating up as MLB teams look to land the raw power prospect from Japan.
Category: General Sports
