The Philadelphia Phillies have been trying to get involved in the Japanese market for a while now. There have been chances and offers distributed in an effort to make a splash in the past. Ultimately, they have come up unsuccessful.
Munetaka Murakami was posted this offseason for MLB teams to sign, and the day before his window was set to close on Monday he signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the Chicago White Sox.
It wasn't the big deal that Murakami surely thought he would fetch, joining the market at just 25-years-old, but he still gets his shot in MLB. There was some wondering if the Phillies would take a shot at the young slugger and his power, but they never seemed too closely connected with Murakami's camp. We don't know if the Phillies even made an offer. This would have been a big splash, but it's a good thing they ended up passing on Murakami.
There's good reason for the Phillies to pass on Munetaka Murakami
The White Sox came in late and got it done with just a two-year commitment, but there's possibly a reasonable explanation. Murakami's swing and miss at the plate has been dissected a thousand different ways, and with good reason.
Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Murakami's strikeout rate over the last three seasons has been at least 28 percent in each season. His 72.6 percent in-zone contact rate also would have been the second-lowest among qualified hitters in MLB in 2025.
The Phillies could look at the NPB-record of 56 home runs in a single-season in 2022 and easily imagine the damage he could do at Citizens Bank Park. It's an easy sell, but that’s not factoring in the strikeouts or the cold, hard fact of Murakami not being exposed to high velocity much at all while in Japan.
The Phillies brought in Adolis García as another power bat with swing and miss potential, so they probably didn't feel confident about Murakami‘s upside and went with García instead.
And then there’s also the defensive concerns, as Murakami isn’t known for his glove at third base. With questions about his ability to play the hot corner, experts seem to think he’d have to play first base in the majors (likely where he’ll end up playing with the White Sox). The Phillies already have a first baseman they don’t intend to replace anytime soon, obviously.
The Phillies are keeping their championship window open, and with that comes the responsibility of spending money wisely to get as many assurances as possible. The Phillies' front office has done a great job trying to put the right pieces in place, and they obviously felt like Murakami wasn't the right fit. There's a good chance they're right.