The Los Angeles Dodgers have demonstrated their willingness to be very aggressive in MLB free agency in recent years. While the team’s focus is on the current season, the club is already being linked to another standout free agent overseas.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post shared this past week that he believed the Dodgers are among the teams, along with the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox who are top landing spots to watch this winter for Munetaka Murakami.
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- Munetaka Murakami stats: .299/.382/.608, .990 OPS, 8 home runs, 6 doubles, 16 runs scored, 15 RBI in 110 plate appearances this season
Murakami, age 25, has been one of the best hitters in Nippon Professional Baseball over the last four seasons. He earned his fourth NPB All-Star selection in 2024 and has twice won the Central League MVP, including in 2022 when he won the Triple Crown.
A left-handed hitter, Murakami has shown improvement at the plate this season. After posting a .250 batting average over the last two years (2023-24), Murakami has raised his batting average to .299 through his first 30 games this season.
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MLB.com reported in June that Murakami is still expected to be posted for bidding this winter. The timing is ideal for all parties and interested MLB teams, since the corner infielder is showcasing the power and contact ability that’s been missing in recent years.
Given the Dodgers’ popularity in Japan and the presence of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki, Los Angeles could be well-positioned to land Murakami this summer.