The Seattle Mariners are one of the better teams in baseball, but they’ve struggled over the last few weeks. With the team struggling this much right now, there’s a real chance they could fall out of the postseason race in the next few weeks.
Seattle is expected to have quite an interesting offseason. There are multiple free agents it could lose, including trade deadline additions Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor. But the bigger story is the moves the Mariners could make to add talent to the roster.
Tremayne Person of Sodo Mojo recently urged the Mariners to pursue Japanese free agent third baseman Munetaka Murakami in the upcoming free agency class this winter. Murakami is one of the best free agents on the market this winter.
Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan third baseman Munetaka Murakami (55) hits a home run against the USA in the second inning at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
“But while every team is obsessing over bullpen usage, lineup optimization, or who’s going to step up in the rotation, there’s a name hovering on the horizon that the Mariners should already be dreaming about: Munetaka Murakami,” Person wrote. “The 25-year-old slugging infielder is Japan’s latest export of jaw-dropping power, and if the whispers are true, he could be making the leap to Major League Baseball as soon as 2026.
“For a Mariners front office that may soon know the pain of losing Eugenio Suárez (for a second time) and Josh Naylor in the same offseason, Murakami feels less like a luxury and more like a necessity. Let’s not bury the lede: Murakami hits baseballs so hard they probably need FAA clearance. He’s fresh off a stretch where he’s belted 17 home runs in just 34 games. That’s not only hot, that’s molten. And when you zoom out, the resume only looks more ridiculous.”
Murakami is quite a talented slugger, but he obviously comes with some risks. It’s not always easy to predict how international free agents will adjust to the MLB level.
But Murakami has all the makings of a superstar. His raw power is among the best in the entire free agency class. There are bound to be a lot of teams, including the New York Yankees and New York Mets, that pursue Murakami in free agency. The Mariners could be the top landing spot if they have the money to compete in a bidding war.
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AloJapan.com