The White Sox may have found enough momentum in 2026 to make their next big move count, and the focus now turns to Munetaka Murakami. After Chicago pushed all the way to the ALDS before blowing a 2-0 lead against the Cleveland Guardians, the season still landed as a major step forward for a club that has spent too many years in the weeds.
That’s why Murakami sits near the center of the offseason conversation. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers is projecting that the White Sox and the left-handed slugger will work out a multi-year extension, pointing to what he called a “genuine desire” to get a deal done.
“The White Sox engage Murakami in discussions for a longer-term deal after his current one expires after 2027," Rogers writes. "... Whenever a player is within a year of free agency, there's always a chance he tests the market -- but in this case, there seems to be a genuine desire to complete a deal."
Chicago brought Murakami in on a two-year deal last offseason, even as other teams were wary of the power bat with the strikeouts attached. He answered with a strong 2026 campaign that made him impossible to ignore.
Murakami hit .207, but he also delivered 35 home runs and 77 RBIs, finishing with an .825 OPS. That production made him a major piece of the White Sox’s run to the postseason.
At 26, the first baseman looks like the kind of player Chicago should try to keep around long term. Reports have said no deal is close yet, but Rogers expects the two sides to sit down after the season and work through it.
The price tag won’t be small. Coming off a 35-homer season, Murakami’s next contract is expected to be substantial, though not at the level of the ridiculous $150 million five-year deal Kyle Schwarber received. A deal for Murakami could land north of $20 million per year over four or five seasons.
It’s a tricky market to pin down, because Murakami is such a unique player and there isn’t a clean comparison for someone with his profile. Even so, Rogers is forecasting that the White Sox and Murakami find common ground, with that reported “genuine desire” leading to a new extension.
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Austin Bart, Huascar Brazobn, Brenton Doyle and Miguel Vargas all sit somewhere along that familiar tender-or-non-tender spectrum, which is exactly why this stage of the winter matters so much for a team trying to sort out value. Some of the calls appear more straightforward than others, but the larger theme is clear enough: Chicago has to decide quickly which players are worth carrying forward and which ones are better left to the open market. [Read more 🡒]