Munetaka Murakami was arguably the most famous player coming over from Japan this offseason. His power was legendary overseas and is his biggest calling card as he makes the transition to the MLB game. Check around pre-offseason predictions and you’ll find lots of people saying that Murakami would get somewhere in the nine figures. MLB Trade Rumors had him predicted to receive an eight year, $180 million deal.
He fell well, well, well short of that number.
While the contract may be reflective of the market recognizing the shortcomings Murakami has in his profile both at the plate and in the field, it’s fair to wonder if this is the market for Japanese players coming over. None of the players that have been posted profile to be a sure thing; each has his warts. That may dampen the expenditure each team wishes to put out for their services. If it is, should the Phillies be jumping into that market at all? They have been interested in getting a player to sign from Japan for some time, so maybe they can get a player at a bit of a discount.