Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto acknowledges the crowd during the World Series championship parade at downtown Los Angeles. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto Spotted With Top Japanese Free Agent

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Aaron Coloma | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been linked to just about every big name on the market this offseason, and international free agent Munetaka Murakami is no different.

The third baseman has taken over Japanese baseball over the past handful of years, and after his age 25 season, he plans to play in MLB. Through his first eight seasons in NPB, Murakami hit 265 home runs and tallied 722 RBIs through 1,003 games played. He has a .945 career OPS as a professional, and has the record for most home runs by a Japanese born player in a single season, reaching 56 in 2022.

Murakami hit 24 home runs and drove in 52 runs during the 2025 season, posting a 1.051 OPS through his 69 games this year.

The Dodgers are a clear candidate to land Murakami, having shown in the past they are willing to bring in Japanese free agents for big money. The Dodgers signed Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto the year they entered international free agency, and spent big on Shohei Ohtani when he entered free agency in 2023.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto may have done some recruiting for the Dodgers earlier in the week, having been spotted at dinner with Murakami. The Dodgers star and the premier free agent know each other, having been teammates for Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and playing in NPB at the same time.

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The Dodgers are pretty set on their options for next season at both of Murakami's primary positions, with Freddie Freeman at first and Max Muncy at third, but signing him could provide some flexibility in the lineup.

Muncy will turn 36 years old on an expiring contract next season, and Freeman will turn 37 before the end of next season. If the Dodgers want to set up a plan for the long term, moving for Murakami would be a great step towards doing so.

The slugger has until Dec. 22 to sign with a team, and the Dodgers are a clear-cut option if the third baseman wants to find instant success with some familiar faces.