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In a notable move for their overhauling roster, the South Side team have welcomed slugger Munetaka Murakami, finalizing a $34 million contract bringing in the power-hitting player.

Contract Details and Incentives

The contract grants a $1 million signing bonus, payable within 30 days, combined with salaries of sixteen million for the 2026 season and $17 million for the final year.

Notably, Murakami's 2027 salary may grow based on award achievements in 2026:

• $1 million for being named the Most Valuable Player award.
• Half a million dollars for finishing second or third in MVP voting.
• A quarter-million for ranking between fourth and tenth.
• An identical bonus for earning the top rookie honor.

His deal includes that he cannot be sent to the minor leagues without his permission and makes him a free agent at the termination of the deal. Additional perks include a dedicated interpreter and travel costs between the U.S. and Japan.

Compensation and Historical Context

As part of the transaction, Chicago must pay a posting fee of $6,575,000 to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Murakami's former team in Japan's Central League. The Yakult organization are also entitled to a 15% cut of fifteen percent triggered salary escalators.

Murakami is set to become the fourth-ever Japanese-born to play for the South Siders, joining reliever Shingo Takatsu (2004-05), infielder Tadahito Iguchi (2005-07), and fielder Kosuke Fukudome (2012). Notably, Takatsu once managed Murakami back in Japan.

On-Field Accomplishments

Murakami, a lefty bat who turns 26 in February, bolsters a young lineup in Chicago that includes prospects like Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, and Chase Meidroth. The club are coming off a 60-102 season, placing at the bottom in the AL Central but representing a significant improvement from the previous campaign.

A two-time league MVP honors in '21 and '22, Murakami made history with a monumental 2022 season where he hit 56 HRs, breaking the single-season record for a Japanese-born player formerly held by legend Sadaharu Oh. That feat also made him the most youthful hitter ever to win Japan's elusive batting Triple Crown.

His most recent NPB campaign was limited to 56 games due to an muscle issue. Despite fanning often, he batted .273 with 22 home runs and 47 runs batted in.

Over his eight-year tenure with the Yakult club, Murakami has posted a .270 career batting average with 246 HRs, 647 runs batted in, and 977 strikeouts in 892 contests. Early in his career playing mainly at first base, he has more recently played to the hot corner.

WBC Heroics

Murakami's heroics were on global view during the 2023 WBC. In the semi-final against Mexico, he drove in a victory-sealing two-base hit that scored Shohei Ohtani and Masataka Yoshida for a come-from-behind 6-5 win. The next night in the final against the Team USA, he slugged a tying shot in the second inning, setting the stage for Japan's eventual championship win.

The lefty slugger is set to be formally introduced at a press conference on Monday.