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In a significant move for their retooling roster, the South Side team have welcomed infielder Munetaka Murakami, finalizing a lucrative contract for the accomplished player.

Contract Details and Incentives

The contract grants a substantial signing bonus, payable within 30 days, in addition to compensation of $16 million for the upcoming season and $17M for the 2027 year.

Importantly, Murakami's 2027 salary can increase based on performance achievements in 2026:

• A seven-figure bonus for winning the Most Valuable Player award.
• $500K for placing as runner-up or in third place in MVP voting.
• A quarter-million for ranking between fourth and tenth.
• Another $250,000 for being named the ROY honor.

The contract also stipulates that he cannot be sent to the minors without his approval and allows him to become a free agent at the end of the contract. Further benefits include a dedicated interpreter and travel costs between the U.S. and Japan.

Compensation and Historical Context

As part of the transaction, Chicago is obligated to provide a compensation payment of over $6.5 million to the Yakult Swallows, Murakami's former team in Japan's NPB. The Yakult organization would also receive a additional payment of any triggered performance bonuses.

Murakami will become the fourth player from Japan to play for the White Sox, following reliever Shingo Takatsu (2004-05), second baseman Tadahito Iguchi (2005-07), and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (2012). Of note, Takatsu was a manager for Murakami while both were in Japan.

Career Highlights

Murakami, a lefty bat who turns 26 soon, enters a young core of hitters in Chicago that also features prospects like Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, and Chase Meidroth. The team are coming off a last-place season, finishing last in the division but showing a significant improvement from the year before campaign.

A two-time Central League MVP honors in 2021 and 2022, Murakami made history with a monumental 2022 season where he belted 56 homers, eclipsing the longstanding record for a Japanese-born player previously held by icon Sadaharu Oh. That feat also made him the youngest player ever to win Japan's coveted batting Triple Crown.

His last year was curtailed to a partial schedule due to an muscle issue. Even with fanning often, he hit .273 with 22 homers and 47 runs batted in.

Over his eight-season tenure with the Yakult club, Murakami has posted a .270 career batting average with 246 homers, 647 RBIs, and 977 strikeouts in nearly 900 games. Initially playing primarily at first base, he has more recently played to third base.

WBC Heroics

Murakami's heroics were on global view during the last World Baseball Classic. In the semi-final against Mexico, he drove in a victory-sealing two-base hit that drove in two fellow Japanese stars for a dramatic 6-5 victory. The very next day in the championship game against the United States, he hit a game-tying shot in the early innings, setting the stage for Japan's 3-2 3-2 victory.

The lefty slugger is set to be unveiled at a introductory event on the coming Monday.