White Sox rumors: How Munetaka Murakami could become ‘most valuable position-player trade chip in years’

Are the Chicago White Sox back? After a sweep against the Los Angeles Angels, the Sox have improved to 14-17 on the season. They are 1.5 games back of the AL Central division lead. Up next is a battle with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

A big reason why the White Sox are competitive right now is because of the clutch hitting from rookie Munetaka Murakami. The Japanese slugger is currently tied with Aaron Judge for the league lead in home runs with 12. He’s also tied for 12th in RBIs with 23, 14th in OPS at .939, and 4th in walks with 25.

Interestingly enough, his only 12 extra-base hits have come from the long ball, as he has yet to hit a double or triple at the MLB level.

Murakami is becoming a massive steal for the White Sox. The team is still far away from turning into a legit World Series contender, but Murakami could help them get there, whether he is on the roster or not. A recent ESPN article suggests that the Japanese star could be a valuable trade chip after this season, as he signed only a 2-year, $36 million deal this past offseason.

“Murakami was an unquestionable one in Japan, where he holds the single-season home run record for a Japan-born player. MLB teams worried about his propensity to swing and miss, and his free agent market over the winter cratered. The two-year, $36 million deal from Chicago was a stroke of brilliance, as Murakami’s 12 home runs lead MLB and at some point in the next 15 months he could be the most valuable position-player trade chip in years.”

Whatever the White Sox do in the next two years, Murakami is on his way to becoming one of the best home run hitters in the sport.

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