🔗 Share this article Chicago White Sox Sign Star Hitter Munetaka Murakami on an Lucrative Multi-Million Dollar Contract. In a major move for their retooling roster, the South Side team have welcomed slugger Munetaka Murakami, finalizing a two-year contract for the accomplished player. Financial Terms and Player Perks The deal grants a seven-figure signing bonus, payable within 30 days, combined with compensation of $16 million for the 2026 season and seventeen million for the following year. Notably, Murakami's final-year pay is subject to escalators based on accolade achievements in 2026: An additional $1M for winning the league MVP award. $500,000 for placing second or third in MVP voting. $250K for placing in the top ten. An identical bonus for winning the Rookie of the Year honor. The agreement provides that he will not be optioned to the minor leagues without his approval and allows him to become a free agent at the end of the contract. Additional perks include a dedicated interpreter and flight reimbursement between Japan and the U.S.. Posting Fee and Team Legacy As part of the transaction, Chicago is obligated to provide a posting fee of $6,575,000 to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Murakami's previous team in Japan's Central League. The Swallows get a supplemental fee of 15% triggered performance bonuses. Murakami will become the fourth-ever Japanese-born to suit up for the Chicago franchise, joining pitcher Shingo Takatsu (2004-05), infielder Tadahito Iguchi (2005-07), and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (2012). Interestingly, Takatsu once managed Murakami during their time in Japan. Career Highlights Murakami, a left-side batter who turns 26 in February, joins a promising lineup in Chicago that contains prospects like Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, and Chase Meidroth. The team are coming off a difficult season, finishing at the bottom in the division but representing a notable improvement from the previous campaign. A two-time Central League MVP honors in consecutive seasons, Murakami is renowned for a monumental 2022 season where he launched 56 home runs, eclipsing the single-season record for a NPB hitter previously held by icon Sadaharu Oh. That feat also made him the most youthful hitter ever to win Japan's elusive Triple Crown. His 2023 season was curtailed to just 56 appearances due to an side strain. Despite fanning 64 times, he batted .273 with 22 homers and 47 driven in. Over his career tenure with the Yakult club, Murakami has compiled a .270 lifetime batting average with 246 home runs, 647 RBIs, and nearly 1,000 strikeouts in nearly 900 games. Early in his career playing mostly at first, he has since transitioned to third base. International Pedigree Murakami's heroics were on full display during the 2023 WBC. In the penultimate game against Mexico, he hit a game-ending double that drove in two fellow Japanese stars for a come-from-behind one-run win. The very next day in the championship game against the United States, he blasted a equalizing home run in the early innings, helping Japan's eventual championship win. The power hitter is set to be officially presented at a introductory event on the coming Monday.