MLB analyst puts pressure on the White Sox to extend Munetaka Murakami originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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All 29 teams across MLB must be kicking themselves for passing on Munetaka Murakami. He has been an absolute force for the Chicago White Sox early this year.
Across 30 games, the Japanese slugger is hitting .241/.366/.574 with an MLB-leading 12 home runs and 23 runs batted in. He shares the home run lead with none other than Aaron Judge.
He has been one of the few bright spots for the White Sox this season, and it would be heartbreaking if the team were to lose him after his two-year contract expires.
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MLB analyst puts pressure on the White Sox to extend Munetaka Murakami
There hasn’t been a whole lot to cheer for over the years if you are a White Sox fan. So, having someone tearing the cover off the ball and lighting up the scoreboard has brought life back into this organization.
Murakami would be a great player to build around, especially with the team currently in the middle of their rebuild.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly believes the White Sox need to get in front of this and start seriously thinking about extending their newfound star.
“The White Sox would probably be wise to try and reach a long-term extension with Murakami sooner rather than later, because if he reaches free agency for a second time, his market is going to be much more robust.”
It’s going to be quite hard and nearly impossible for the White Sox to re-sign him after he hits free agency. He has already made too big a name for himself.
Now, this club doesn’t throw out big extensions often, the biggest being the five-year, $75 million deal Andrew Benintendi is working with. But if they want things to change and for this rebuild to pay off, offering Murakami a big bag is necessary.
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