Munetaka Murakami described Monday as feeling like he had “finally reached the starting line.”
The Japanese slugger signed a contract, put on a new hat and No. 5 uniform and took photos at Rate Field a day after agreeing to a two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox.
His journey from the Nippon Professional Baseball Japanese Central League to Major League Baseball is underway.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to be able to play in front of these wonderful fans at Rate Field,” Murakami said through an interpreter at an introductory news conference. “My goal is to win, continuously grow, and to continuously challenge myself. No matter who the opponent is, I’m always willing to take the challenge on and I will never give up.
“I will contribute to this club to the best of my ability. I hope to express on the field how wonderful and great the game of baseball is.”
Murakami, 25, is known for the longball, hammering 246 home runs during eight seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. That includes a whopping 56 home runs in 2022, the second-highest total in NPB history and the most by a Japanese player.
He earned Most Valuable Player honors in 2021 and 2022.
General manager Chris Getz said Murakami’s arrival is “a significant moment for the Chicago White Sox.”
“To welcome one of the most prolific power hitters on the planet, and now knowing that he’s going to be on the South Side of Chicago wearing a Chicago White Sox uniform, is so significant, so special,” Getz said.
Getz credited the scouts on the ground in Japan and Sox special assistant to the general manager David Keller — who oversees international operations — for their roles throughout the process.
“This is (the) beginning of Year 2 for me (and) as a part of coming over, one of the things that Chris and I talked about is that good players come from everywhere,” Keller said. “So as part of that, we wanted to establish a presence in the (Pacific) Rim, and that starts with hiring a scout, Satoshi Takahashi. Once we were able to get him on board, I think that’s where those conversations became more real.
“Obviously there’s a whole pool of talented players in other parts of the world and opening ourselves up to that meant establishing a process that allowed us to evaluate them properly, assign value to them and hopefully acquire them in time. So really, right when I started with the White Sox is when we started to talk about that pool of players including Mune. It was a journey to get to this point obviously, but we feel like we’ve done our homework and due diligence and here we are.”
Getz said the two-year deal is “an opportunity for us to provide a runway to a really talented player in the city of Chicago.”
“That was really attractive to us,” Getz said. “Knowing that there’s only upside in this because you’re looking at someone that’s going to help our young players develop, it’s a chance for him to show Major League Baseball what he’s capable of doing and positive things will come from that.
“That’s the way I’m viewing it, this deal. And I think the simplicity of it is what got it done in the end. And the conversations were very direct, very honest, and they were efficient.”
Getz noted that every negotiation is unique. He felt the prospects of a deal became more of a reality on Thursday, saying that the posting window played a part. Murakami had until Monday afternoon to reach an agreement with an MLB club.
“We’ve got a strong relationship with Excel (Sports Management), with Casey (Close) and Bobby (Barad),” Getz said. “We stayed in touch. I’m certainly always very attracted to left-handed bats, and certainly if there’s power in there as well. As we put this team together, foundationally, you look at the catching position with Kyle Teal and Edgar Quero, up the middle we’ve got (second baseman) Chase Meidroth, (shortstop) Colson Montgomery and Luis Robert (Jr.) in center field.
“To get the chance to bring some real power and an offensive force like Mune, to really complement and drive this offense, when we got close for this to become a reality — and quite honest I don’t think it’s really sunk in quite yet, just to think about him in the lineup on a regular basis — it really starts years ago when we begin scouting him, learning more about the player, and we believe Mune is going to be a star in this game.”
The plan is for Murakami, who is listed as 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, to play first base.
Murakami said he saw the Sox as his “best fit,” adding that the team “would help me become the best player I am. And I really believe in the vision of this organization and would love to be a part of this.”
Asked about the length of the contract, Murakami reiterated, “My main priority was to find the best fit.”
“Whether the contract was long or not wasn’t really a factor for myself,” he said. “I just really believe in the city and the organization, (and I’m) really happy to be here.”
Murakami had heard that the Sox have “lost a lot of games in the past,” alluding to three consecutive 100-loss seasons.
“But that is in the past,” Murakami said. “I only look forward. I’m excited with the exciting young players that this club has and I’m ready to take on that challenge to grow with the group.”
Murakami began Monday’s event speaking in English with a direct message to fans, “White Sox nation, you guys are in my heart.”
He concluded his opening remarks returning to English and said, “Let’s get to work.”