Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan third baseman Munetaka Murakami (55) circles the bases after hitting a home run during the second inning against USA at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Sam Navarro
Japanese outlet Nikkan Sports says that the Phillies are interested in 3B/1B/DH Munetaka Murakami, saying via translation that Dave Dombrowski and company are “particularly keen” on the 25-year-old:
“Munetaka Murakami, who officially submitted his posting application on the 8th, has already been approached by several teams. One team that is particularly keen on him is the Phillies.”
-Nikkan Sportspic.twitter.com/3P2OCu3fFP
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) November 16, 2025
It should be pointed out again that this article was written in Japanese, and interpreted using Google Translate. There are not always perfect equivalents for words and phrases when making translations. So this should be taken with a grain of salt, but certainly not dismissed.
Murakami does seem to have a boom-or-bust quality to him, making him an uncertain player to bet on. He hit 22 home runs and drove in 47 runs for the Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball over just 56 games this past season. However, he also struck out 64 times, an alarming rate for only 224 plate appearances. There’s conflicting information on just how poorly Murakami fared against velocity this past season, but concerns about hitting mid-to-high 90s pitching will turn some teams off. At the same time, there will be clubs who bet on the immense power of the two-time Central League MVP, who has 246 home runs and a .951 OPS over eight NPB seasons:
I’ve got .225 but point stands there’s definitely some major whiff concern
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) November 7, 2025
Whether the Phillies will ultimately be one of those clubs is unclear. For Murakami to really be a fit for the Phillies, a major piece from the 2025 team will likely not be back in 2026. Murakami is a natural third baseman, so perhaps the Phillies could trade Alec Bohm — who is projected to make $10.3 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility — to clear a spot if they signed the Japanese star. Then again, that would make the Phillies super left-handed in their lineup, and it would mean the Phillies are betting that Murakami can for sure stick at third base in the majors, which there is uncertainty about. From here, the more likely scenario seems to be that Murakami is a potential fallback in the event that NL MVP runner-up Kyle Schwarber departs in free agency.
To be clear, Plan A — with a major gap before Plans B and C — would appear to be the Phillies re-signing Schwarber. If they do that, it’s hard to imagine a fit for Murakami, because Schwarber would be entrenched at DH, and the Phillies continue to indicate that they don’t plan to move Bryce Harper back to the outfield. A lineup built around Murakami (at third base), Schwarber and Harper — even if you factor in Trea Turner — would be too left-handed.
Nonetheless, there are reasons for the Phillies to be involved.
First of all, you don’t always get your Plan A. If Schwarber leaves, the Phillies will have to replace the 56 home runs and 132 RBIs he drove in a season ago, and Murakami would be one of the best available options to try to make up for some of that.
Secondly, the Phillies are desperate to break into the market, having never had a player born in Japan make their MLB debut in red pinstripes. Maybe being in on Murakami helps them ultimately sign him. But even if he goes elsewhere, if the Phillies make a presentation to him, it will help them to refine their pitch for future Japanese stars. It also wouldn’t hurt if they leave a strong impression on Murakami, because word of mouth — both from him and his representation — is a strong tool.
The most interesting part about this is that Murakami was posted by the Swallows, his NPB team, on Nov. 7. All 30 MLB teams — with the Nikkan Sports report also mentioning the Seattle Mariners as a team with interest — have until Dec. 22 at 5 p.m. ET to bid on his services. What if that date comes and the Phillies are interested in Murakami, but only as a fallback option to Schwarber? If Schwarber hasn’t yet decided by that point, will the Phillies continue to wait him out and lose out on Murakami?
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AloJapan.com