A little over a decade ago, the New York Yankees made a splash by signing Masahiro Tanaka from the NPB’s Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. This was the team’s first major signing of a Japanese player since they brought in Hideki Matsui (otherwise known as “Godzilla”) from the Land of the Rising Sun. Tanaka went on to have a fantastic seven-season career in pinstripes, throwing over a thousand innings with a 3.74 ERA, two All-Star appearances, and five wins across 10 postseason starts. New York used to be the place where every international player wanted to go: it was a place where some of the biggest names in the sport played, and where success was the top priority of both the organization and the city.
11 years later, things are drastically different. The Yankees still have not won a title since 2009, and winning championships no longer appears to be the most important motivator for the organization. This is, perhaps, the reason why Japanese superstars no longer appear to have much desire to play for the biggest city in America. Seemingly every time a Japanese player comes across the ocean to MLB, the Yankees are no longer one of their top landing spots. Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki prove this, and are just a few of the players that the Yankees have missed out on in the past few years. The reason, contrary to what general manager Brian Cashman has claimed, is not simply because they play on the East Coast.
Winning > Everything Else
There’s a reason why Japanese stars like Tanaka and Matsui came all the way to the Bronx as opposed to signing with a team much closer to home, like the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s because the Yankees used to set the standard of success not just across MLB, but across all major American sports. Now, the Dodgers have arguably taken over that title, as they have a chance to become the first club to win back-to-back World Series titles since, of course, the 1998-2000 Yankees.
It’s not just because Los Angeles is over 3,000 miles closer to Japan than New York; it’s because the Dodgers are putting their money where their mouth is and making as many moves as possible to ensure the team’s success. This isn’t just limited to Japanese free agents, however. Last offseason alone, they re-signed Blake Treinen, Teoscar Hernández, and brought in Tanner Scott on top of already having the league’s highest payroll. Adding Sasaki (who, granted, hasn’t had the best rookie season) on top of that, it’s no wonder that they’ve already won consecutive pennants. What international player wouldn’t want to join this Dodgers superteam?
Yankees Need to Pursue Munetaka Murakami
While the Dodgers will go on to face either the Toronto Blue Jays or Seattle Mariners in the World Series, the Yankees will be watching from the couch. This season’s ending was undoubtedly frustrating, so ideally, they should be doing everything they can to ensure that they will be at least just as good, if not better, next season. If they want to win back the reputation that the Dodgers have clearly taken from them, they have to fight fire with fire; in other words, they’ll have to put their money where their mouth is.
The Yankees could change course immediately by signing Munetaka Murakami. The 25-year-old will join MLB next season, and there will not be a single team that doesn’t have any interest in signing him. Logging eight seasons as a first/third baseman for the NPB’s Yakult Swallows, Murakami has hit 265 home runs, slashing .273/.394/.550, logging 960 total hits as well. Talent doesn’t always translate to MLB right away, but it’s safe to say that Murakami will likely have an immediate impact on the team he signs with.
Japanese INF Munetaka Murakami is expected to be posted for MLB Teams this winter, per @Feinsand
Murakami, 25, has hit 265 HRs over 8 seasons in Japan. He posted a 1.051 OPS and 26 HRs in 69 games this season. pic.twitter.com/NRCZ6NF1NI
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) October 10, 2025
Taking Back the Mantra
If the Yankees want to show the league that they are serious about winning, they will do everything they can to bring Murakami to the Bronx. It’s not just about Murakami himself, though he will surely be a solid player in MLB. It’s about bringing back that “winning-comes-first” mentality that seems to have escaped them since Hal Steinbrenner took over from his late father, George. The Yankees have lost their identity, and their “Evil Empire” mantra has been completely stolen by Los Angeles. The first step in proving to the league (and their fans) that they truly want to win more than anything else is to use everything in their power to steal a superstar from the Dodgers and put New York City back on the map as a true destination for Japanese players.
Main Photo Credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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