The Chicago White Sox made a big splash on December 21 as they signed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. ESPN reported, citing sources, that Chicago inked the Japanese star to a two-year, $34 million contract.
However, that’s not the only move that the White Sox want to make before the offseason is over. Chicago are in the middle of a rebuild, and so adding young talent is key in exchange for veteran players who don’t fit their timeline.
After signing Murakami, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on December 21 that the White Sox are turning their attention to trading outfielder Luis Robert Jr. The team hopes to add pitching depth and is currently in discussions with the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds.
Robert will be looking for a bounce-back season in 2026 after he had a .223 batting average with 85 hits, 14 homers, 53 RBIs, and 52 runs scored in 110 games in 2025, per StatMuse.
The Mets and Reds, or any other team, will be looking for Robert to replicate his 2023 season, in which he had a .264 batting average with 144 hits, 38 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 90 runs scored in 145 games in 2023, leading to his first Silver Slugger award, per StatMuse.
Munetaka Murakami Fits White Sox Rebuild
Chicago could consider moving Robert now to acquire young talent while counting on Murakami to fill the power void. The new White Sox player hit 246 home runs in his eight seasons for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Moreover, home runs were a significant weakness for the Chicago lineup in 2025, as the team ranked in the bottom 10 with 165 home runs, per Baseball Reference.
Now that Murakami has joined the White Sox, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden offered his perspective on why the Japanese star chose a short-term contract.
“He doesn’t profile to be a two or three-hole hitter, but he might be a five-hole hitter,” Bowden said during a December 21 appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “Worst case, a six-hole hitter that hits you 35 home runs, hits 220, and strikes out 200 times. That’s probably what he sounds like. But for the White Sox, where they are in rebuilding, with Colson Montgomery, it’s short.
“I don’t know if Murakami is going to play third or first. I’m guessing [that], because of Miguel Garcia, he probably starts at third base, and they find out if he’s good enough to stay over there. But they just added some serious juice to that team.”
MLB Teams Hesitated on Munetaka Murakami
Bowden also detailed why teams hesitated to offer Murakami a long-term contract. Even with his impressive power and MLB teams’ general eagerness for players who can hit home runs, there were warning signs. That caution is what led to his signing taking place right before the posting deadline.
“He’s young enough, which is why it works for the White Sox at 25 years old,” Bowden noted. “There’s a lot of swing and miss in the game… His career on-base percentage in eight years in Japan, 394, with 265 home runs.
“Now, what is the problem? Why wasn’t there more offers? Why didn’t he get the longer-term deal? According to several GMs who I spoke with during the winter meetings, it’s the 1,068 strikeouts in 3,500 of bats. It’s the Dave Kingman comp that some teams have for him. It’s the complete [fear] that he’ll miss too many bats here.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Mets, Reds Receive Major Update on White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. appeared first on Heavy Sports.