The MLB rumors around Munetaka Murakami are reaching a breaking point as the December 22 posting deadline closes in. The Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies all remain firmly in the mix, with no clear favorite emerging. Time is now the loudest voice in the room. Front offices feel it. Fans feel it. And every passing day tightens the window on one of the winter’s most fascinating free agents.
Munetaka Murakami’s profile fuels the urgency. Despite playing only 56 games last season due to an oblique injury, he still launched 22 home runs and posted a .273/.379/.663 slash line. The power is real. The left-handed swing is violent. The question has never been about raw ability. It’s about projection. Can it translate cleanly to MLB pitching under nightly pressure?
MLB Network insider Jon Morosi made it clear this is no longer a quiet market. “Munetaka Murakami is of interest to teams like the Red Sox, the Mariners, the Tigers, the Phillies, the Mets, the Blue Jays, a lot of different teams,” Morosi said. The list keeps growing. So does the tension.
Deadline pressure reshapes the board for Munetaka Murakami
Morosi also underscored how the clock changes everything. “If you want to sign Murakami, you only have 10 more days to do it,” he said on MLB Network. That reality forces decisions. Waiting carries risk. Acting carries conviction.
Munetaka Murakami is no longer viewed as a fallback option. “All the power that he’s had in the past, the 56-homer season, a really intriguing lefty bat,” Morosi added. “You can’t wait forever.” That line matters. Especially for teams weighing other big bats still unresolved on the market.
For clubs like the Red Sox and Blue Jays, the fit is obvious. For the Mets and Phillies, the upside is tempting. Power changes games. It shifts divisions. It reshapes timelines.
December 22 is coming fast. Someone will blink. Who’s ready to bet big on Munetaka Murakami before the door slams shut?
