🔗 Share this article Chicago's MLB Team Sign Power Bat Munetaka Murakami on an Major $34 Million Contract. In a significant move for their retooling roster, the Chicago White Sox have signed infielder Munetaka Murakami, completing a lucrative contract with the high-profile player. Financial Terms and Added Benefits The deal includes a substantial signing bonus, issued within 30 days, combined with annual pay of $16M for the upcoming season and $17 million for the following year. Importantly, Murakami's compensation may grow based on performance achievements in 2026: $1 million for earning the MVP award. $500K for finishing as runner-up or in third place in MVP voting. $250,000 for finishing between fourth and tenth. An identical bonus for being named the top rookie honor. His deal includes that he will not be optioned to the minor leagues without his permission and makes him a free agent at the conclusion of the deal. Additional perks include a team-provided interpreter and travel costs between his home country and the States. Transfer Payment and Team Legacy As part of the transaction, Chicago is obligated to provide a transfer fee of over $6.5 million to the Swallows, Murakami's longtime team in Japan's NPB. The Yakult organization get a supplemental fee of any triggered performance bonuses. Murakami joins the ranks as the fourth Japanese-born to suit up for the South Siders, joining pitcher Shingo Takatsu (2004-05), second baseman Tadahito Iguchi (2005-07), and fielder Kosuke Fukudome (2012). Notably, Takatsu was a manager for Murakami during their time in Japan. On-Field Accomplishments Murakami, a lefty bat who turns 26 on February 2nd, bolsters a promising group of offensive players in Chicago that contains prospects like Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, and Chase Meidroth. The White Sox are finished with a last-place season, finishing at the bottom in the AL Central but representing a significant improvement from the year before campaign. The winner of back-to-back Central League MVP honors in 2021 and 2022, Murakami made history with a monumental 2022 season where he hit 56 HRs, breaking the single-season record for a NPB hitter formerly held by legend Sadaharu Oh. That performance also made him the most youthful hitter ever to secure Japan's prestigious batting Triple Crown. His last year was curtailed to a partial schedule due to an side strain. Even with fanning 64 times, he still managed .273 with 22 home runs and 47 runs batted in. Over his career tenure with the Swallows, Murakami has accumulated a .270 lifetime batting average with 246 homers, 647 runs batted in, and nearly 1,000 strikeouts in 892 contests. He started playing primarily at first base, he has more recently played to third base. WBC Heroics Murakami's heroics were on full display during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. In the penultimate game against Mexico, he hit a walk-off double that scored two fellow Japanese stars for a dramatic 6-5 win. The very next day in the championship game against the Team USA, he blasted a tying home run in the second inning, setting the stage for Japan's 3-2 3-2 victory. The lefty slugger is scheduled to be formally introduced at a introductory event on Monday.