Mets Could Make Big Push for Munetaka Murakami

Munetaka Murakami is expected to be posted this offseason, and according to Mark Feinsand, the Mets are among the teams to make a “big push” for the slugger.

The 25-year-old lefty from Japan is among the best hitters to ever be posted — and would be a massive add for whatever team wins the sweepstakes. Murakami has clubbed 246 homers in 892 games in Japan, including an exceptional year in 2022 where he won the Triple Crown and recorded 56 homers, which is the single-season NPB record.

Last season, Murakami slashed .286/.392/.659 with 24 homers in 69 games between the Japanese Central League (56) and Eastern League (13). It’s also worth noting Murakami punched out at a 28.6% clip in NPB last season, which was the third straight year in a row his K-rate reached 28%.

Still, Murakami would be beneficial from the left side of the plate. The Mets have lacked left-handed power the last couple seasons, and before Juan Soto‘s 43 home run seasons, the club hadn’t had a lefty hit 30 homers since Michael Conforto in 2019.

Murakami has played the majority of his games (75%) at third base, but is expected to shift over to first base in Major League Baseball. It’s easy to see why Murakami would be linked to the Mets due to Pete Alonso‘s free agency.

Once posted, Murakami will have 45 days to negotiate with all 30 major league teams before signing a contract. It’ll be similar to Yoshinobu Yamamoto‘s free agent period before he signed his 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers.

While this doesn’t give the Mets much time to choose between Murakami and Alonso, both could potentially fit on the team. The Mets don’t have a set-in-stone option at third base, and could sign Murakami to be their third baseman long term. However, scouting reports noted Murakami has a “middling” fielder, and Stearns emphasized run prevention after the end of the 2025 season.

Regardless, expect the Mets to pursue Murakami throughout the offseason. Earlier in August, David Stearns traveled to Japan to scout Murakami in an NPB game. He was in attendance to see Murakami club a walk-off homer on August 12 against the Baystars. The other notable clubs listed with major interest were the Yankees, Mets, Phillies, and Mariners.

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