The Major League Baseball offseason is in full swing after the Los Angeles Dodgers completed their quest to become back-to-back World Series champions. The fun begins now that free agency has started on Thursday.
The Philadelphia Phillies will be one of the most-watched and talked-about teams this offseason. The 2025 NL East champions had their World Series dreams crushed by the Dodgers in the playoffs, the Phillies’ second consecutive NLDS exit.
Despite making the playoffs four years in a row, including a World Series appearance in 2022, the Phillies are expected to make significant changes this offseason. The core group is getting older, and a few of them are free agents.
The Phillies’ biggest free agent and one of the top players available this offseason is Kyle Schwarber. The 2025 NL MVP finalist hit a career-high 56 home runs and MLB-leading 132 RBIs this past season.
*This is a PREDICTION, not a report.*
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Phillies Predicted to Sign Munetaka Murakami to Replace Kyle Schwarber
The Phillies had Schwarber on somewhat of a bargain deal, in which he was making just under $20 million per year over the last four seasons. The 32-year-old won’t have a shortage of suitors in free agency and will likely sign a multi-year deal worth around $30 million per year.
There’s mutual interest between the Phillies and Schwarber to work out a new contract, but if he leaves, the Phillies must go all-in on an MVP-caliber player to replace him in the lineup.
The Phillies Should Sign Munetaka Murakami
One of the most sought-after players available this offseason will be Munetaka Murakami. The Japanese left-handed slugger will be posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, and will be eligible for all 30 MLB teams to sign.
Although free agency started on Thursday, Murakami can’t sign with a team until he’s officially posted. International players are typically posted in December before the Winter Meetings, which take place from Dec. 8-11.
Murakami has never played in an MLB game, but he has superstar potential. The 25-year-old hit 246 home runs across eight years in the NPB, averaging over 30 home runs per year.
Murakami’s best season came in 2022 when he earned the Triple Crown for leading the league in batting average (.318), home runs (56), and RBIs (134). He became the youngest player in league history to accomplish the feat at just 22 years old.
The sky was the limit as far as Murakami’s potential following his historic 2022 season, but he has failed to replicate those numbers since. The tantalizing power is still there, but his all-around offensive production took a hit.
The biggest knock on Murakami is his extremely high strikeout percentage. It’s alarming as MLB teams prepare to sign him this offseason, but his age and sheer power outweigh those concerns.
Murakami’s 2025 season was limited to 56 games due to an oblique injury, but he was impressive when he was on the field. He slashed .273/.379/.663 with a 1.043 OPS, 22 home runs, and 47 RBIs, which would’ve put him on pace for 64 home runs and 136 RBIs in a 162-game MLB season.
Murakami’s primary position is third base, but he also has plenty of experience at first base and played one game in the outfield for his NPB team in 2025. The Phillies’ starting third baseman is Alec Bohm, and the starting first baseman is Bryce Harper.
The Phillies will have an immediate opening at DH if Schwarber walks in free agency, a spot where Murakami could thrive. It’s also worth noting that Bohm has been a hot name in trade rumors and that Harper has said he’s open to moving back to the outfield if the Phillies can land an impact first baseman.Â
Munetaka Murakami Projected MLB Contract
The question is, what will a contract for a player entering his prime years who has never played in an MLB game look like? Japanese pitchers have typically signed for more money when coming to the MLB than position players have, such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 12-year, $325 million contract that he signed with the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season.
The highest contract given to a position player out of the NPB, excluding Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, was Masataka Yoshida’s five-year, $90 million contract with the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2023 season. Murakami has much more potential than Yoshida had coming to the MLB and will likely surpass that contract by a significant margin.
Experts have predicted Murakami’s contract to be anywhere from $80 million to over $200 million. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden predicted the Japanese star to land a six-year, $160 million contract with an MLB team.
Phillies’ Desire to Be in the Japanese Market
West Coast teams such as the Dodgers and the Seattle Mariners, as well as other teams like the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs, have had a rich history of signing or attracting Japanese talent. The Phillies haven’t quite made their mark in the Japanese baseball market.
It hasn’t been for a lack of trying; the Phillies simply haven’t been able to attract Japanese talent like the Dodgers and other teams have. The Phillies were in on pitcher Roki Sasaki before he signed with the Dodgers ahead of the 2025 season, and the organization had reportedly offered Yamamoto more money than any team, including the contract he ultimately signed with the Dodgers.
The Phillies tried to make headway last offseason when they signed three-time NPB All-Star pitcher Koyo Aoyagi with an invite to spring training. Aoyagi spent some time in the Phillies’ minor league system during the 2025 season, but the right-hander was released in July and returned to the NPB.
Murakami will have no shortage of suitors once he’s posted this offseason, and the Phillies have been linked to him. The Phillies are a winning team in a major city with a World Series-caliber roster, which may be enough to finally attract a Japanese player like Murakami to sign with the team.
Munetaka Murakami NPB Career Stats
Murakami owns a career .270 batting average with 246 home runs and 647 RBIs in 892 games since debuting in the NPB in 2018 at 18 years old. His .994 fielding percentage at first base is significantly better than his .945 fielding percentage at his primary third base position.