You can add the Philadelphia Phillies to the list of teams in on Munetaka Murakami if the Yakult Swallows post him this offseason, as they are expected to do.
If true, as Phillies Tailgate reported on Monday, Philadelphia joins a host of other teams either expected to pursue him or named as a potential fit for the corner infielder. The Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs have all been linked to Murakami in some way.
The 25-year-old Murakami has played in the NPB since he was 18 and is a career .272 hitter with a .953 OPS and 242 home runs.
While there is no guarantee Murakami gets posted to begin with, Swallows president Tetsuya Hayashida indicated in June that he would be willing to let his star pursue a career in the United States.
“If he wishes for it, we are willing to submit a posting system application for him,” he said, per MLB.com. “Our hope is for him to succeed. He supported the team so much in such a short period and made a big contribution. He’s a player we care a lot about.”
“Depending on how MLB teams evaluate him, Murakami will likely reconsider his options,” Hayashida added. “No matter what kind of decision he makes, we want to be there for him to support and advise him as needed.”
From the Phillies' perspective, there will always be room for Murakami. Bryce Harper has first base locked down and hasn't played the outfield with any consistency since 2021, but that's where Murakami's versatility helps. Alec Bohm has been a mixed bag this year but is still hitting for a sub-league-average OPS+ at third base and will hit free agency in a year anyway. Throw in DH and those are three spots that Murakami can see reps, depending on how the Phillies want to play it.
