Red Sox Update Arrives Concerning Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto
Is Boston in or out on these guys?
Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami must sign with an MLB team before this coming Monday at 5 p.m. ET. Naturally, everyone’s leaning into the situation and wondering where he’ll land, if anywhere.
There hasn’t been much noise on the Murakami front, which has made this weekend even more tense concerning his fate. Late on Saturday night, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand revealed that the Chicago White Sox are talking to Murakami right now. Feinsand also suggested that there are multiple teams talking to Murakami.
Not long after Feinsand’s post was published, MassLive’s Chris Cotillo arrived on the X scene and contributed a Red Sox update concerning not only Murakami, but also Kazuma Okamoto, another corner infielder and slugger from Japan.
But Murakami and Okamoto have been loosely linked to the Red Sox this offseason.
According to Cotillo’s sources, the Red Sox have “kicked the tires” on both players.
Murakami, a 25-year-old infielder with the Yakult Swallows, has built a reputation on elite raw power and exit velocities that would rank among MLB’s best. He shattered the NPB single-season home run record with 56 in 2022, though subsequent seasons saw his numbers drop amid high strikeouts and contact issues.
Primarily a third baseman but projected as a first baseman in the Majors, Murakami’s market has remained more or less unknown to the public despite initial projections of a lucrative long-term deal. As aforementioned, he faces a December 22 deadline to sign or return to Japan.
Okamoto, 29, leads NPB in home runs since 2018 with 248 total, including six consecutive 30-plus homer campaigns from 2018 to 2023. An elbow injury curtailed his 2025 to 69 games and 15 homers, but he nonetheless posted a strong .327/ .416/ .598 slash line. Versatile at first and third base, he was posted November 20, with negotiations open until January 4.
