Guardians Rumors: Cleveland linked to Japanese slugger who would fix offensive woes

While the Guardians' run toward the American League Central title was one of the best stories in MLB last season, it also helped mask some of the team’s biggest flaws — the biggest one being the lack of offense. 

In total, the Guardians posted a .226 batting average during the regular season, whichstands as the worst mark ever for a playoff team. 

And while that likely won’t be next year thanks to the presence of some rising prospects like George Valera and Chase DeLauter, they still need to make at least one outside acquisition.

And, according to one MLB insider, it seems like the Guardians may consider going to the international market to fill that void on the roster, as former MLB general manager Jim Bowden highlighted the Guardians as a potential suitor for Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. 

The Cleveland Guardians were listed as a potential teams to sign Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami this winter

Murakami, 25, has been one of the best sluggers in the Nippon Professional Baseball for the past half-decade and is expected to be posted this offseason by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. 

Murakami being 25 plays a huge factor in his posting, as any international player under the age of 25 is considered an “amateur” and isn’t able to earn as much (and will also be under team control for six seasons) Murakami will be considered a professional, which means he’ll be able to sign a contract of any length and value. 

His best season came in 2022 when he hit .318 with 56 home runs and 134 RBI. He was limited to just 56 games last year due to an oblique injury but still managed to hit 22 home runs. 

The biggest red flag is the amount of swing and miss in his game. He posted a strikeout rate above 28% in each of the past three seasons, and there’s a chance that could increase once he gets stateside due to the quality of MLB pitching

Although he mostly played at third base in the NPB, most scouting reports project him to spend most of his career at first base, which is obviously where he’d play in Cleveland thanks to the presence of José Ramírez at third base. 

The Guardians’ first base picture currently consists of Kyle Manzardo and C.J. Kayfus, but Murakami would add some more power to that picture. He and Manzardo could cycle through first base and designated hitter, while Kayfus could become Cleveland’s full-time right fielder after moonlighting at the position in 2026. 

Bowden had a variety of salary comps for Murakami ranging from Freddie Freeman’s six-year, $162 million contract to the two-year, $32 million deal that Josh Bell signed with the Guardians before the 2023 season. 

As pointed out by MLB Trade Rumors’ Darragh McDonald, whichever club signs Murakami will also owe a posting fee to the Swallows. The posting fee is calculated as 20% of the contract’s first $25 million, 17.5% of the next $25 million, and 15% of spending above $50 million.

Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida netted contracts of $85 and $90 million respectively when they came over from NPB, but they were better all-around hitters. 

Murakami will have plenty of suitors in free agency given his power and ability to play both first and third base, but the Guardians should at least kick the tires on him given how easily he could help the team’s offense.