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Japanese star Munetaka Murakami to be posted with big Mets intrigue
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- Japanese star Munetaka Murakami to be posted with big Mets intrigue
Japanese FA posted
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Munetaka Murakami was set to be posted Friday, opening the 45-day window for MLB teams to negotiate with the star Japanese third baseman, The Post's Joel Sherman confirmed.
The 25-year-old is expected to have a heavy market this winter , with the Mets likely among those interested in the slugger who hit 246 homers over eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, including a record 56 in 2022.
He hit 22 long balls in 56 games while battling an oblique injury this past season with the Yakult Swallows, slashing .273/.379/.663.
Munetaka Murakami of the Yakult Swallows grounds out in the 7th inning against Hanshin Tigers. Getty Images
Murakami's power is more than enough to draw interest despite a high strikeout rate.
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Mets general manager David Stearns took a trip to Japan last summer to see him in action.
With first baseman Pete Alonso set to hit free agency — unburdened by a qualifying offer this time — the Mets could look to Murakami, who can also play first, as a potential replacement.
The Mets have been players in the recent crop of Japanese stars to come stateside, having offered pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto the same 12-year, $325 million deal he got with the Dodgers . They were also in the mix for phenom Roki Sasaki , who ended up in Los Angeles as well.
They signed Kodai Senga to a five-year, $75 million pact before the 2023 season.
Pete Alonso's Mets future is uncertain. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Unlike Sasaki, however, Murakami is not considered an amateur and can command free agent money — expected to hit nine figures — ahead of his Dec. 5 window deadline.
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He likely won't be alone in heading to the U.S. with Yomiuri Giants star Kazuma Okamoto and Seibu Lions pitching star Tatsuya Imai expected to be posted , too, according to The Post's Jon Heyman.
