Why the Cleveland Guardians should pursue Munetaka Murakami

The 45-day negotiating window for Japanese superstar Munetaka Murakami will open Saturday at 8 a.m. Eastern. Murakami, 25, will have to sign with a team by 5 p.m. on December 22. While third base is his primary position, he can also play first base.

Jose Ramirez is not going anywhere. He is currently one of MLB’s best third basemen and is not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. If the Guardians are to sign Murakami, he will likely primarily be a first baseman and a designated hitter, with some action at third base to give Ramirez some time off on the defensive side of the ball.

The main reason the Guardians should at least talk to Murakami is because of his bat. Murakami hit a Nippon Professional Baseball record 56 home runs in 2022, which broke a record that had stood for nearly 60 years in NPB. In his eight seasons in Japan, Murakami slugged 246 home runs. 

Murakami is coming off an oblique injury last year, which limited him to just 56 games. In those 56 games, Murakami mashed 22 home runs and hit .273/.379/.663 slash line. And at 25 years old, he still has his prime years ahead of him. 

The Guardians need someone who strikes fear into the hearts of pitchers. They ranked 20th in baseball last year with 168 home runs, led by Jose Ramirez’s 30. With a void at first base and designated hitter, Murakami could be a perfect fit. Ramirez does not miss games; he has played at least 152 games every year since 2021, and even played 58 games in the shortened 2020 season.

Having an everyday first baseman and designated hitter that could smash dingers at will, and can alleviate some of the load both offensively and defensively for Jose Ramirez, is something the Guardians not only should, but need to consider.

Every list of potential free agents out there includes the Guardians targeting big bats who can play first base or the outfield. The Athletic’s list actually included Murakami as a potential fit due to his big bat and versatility at the corner infield positions. 

The Guardians had a miraculous end-of-season comeback in the AL Central last year. Adding someone like Murakami to that lineup to back their top-notch pitching staff can make winning an AL Central title a much smoother task than it has been the past several years.

The price tag will not be cheap, and there will be plenty of competition among other MLB teams for Murakami’s services. Still, the Guardians are doing themselves a disservice by not talking to Murakami and doing whatever they can to land him and fit him into their everyday lineup.

This is a 25-year-old from the world’s second-best baseball league who has already broken a nearly 60-year-old home run record and smacked an additional 22 in 56 games while facing injury issues last season.

Jose Ramirez hit 30 home runs. Kyle Manzardo hit 27 home runs. The next closest was Bo Naylor with 14. Power is needed. Average is needed. Murakami wields both. This front office needs to do what is right for both the team and its fans.