Munetaka Murakami’s bat has given White Sox fans plenty to dream about this season, but a brutal late-season slide may have cooled the idea of a quick long-term commitment.
The White Sox had already started talking about an extension with Murakami after initially saying on April 24 that they had not had conversations with his representatives. Chris Getz then turned heads in August when he acknowledged the team had discussed a possible deal, and Murakami has made it clear the interest runs both ways. Still, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported in his Sunday notes column that there is “no urgency” for the White Sox to lock in an extension right now.
That hesitation makes sense given where Murakami’s production stands at the moment. Entering Tuesday’s series opener against the Royals, the 26-year-old was hitting .202/.346/.463 with 32 home runs and an .809 OPS in 121 games. The raw power is still there, and he continues to draw walks at a healthy clip, but the contact has fallen off a cliff over the last month.
Murakami hit just .147 in August and has been even colder in September, batting .121 so far this month. Over his last 29 games, he’s hit .107 with 54 strikeouts in 103 at-bats.
Even for a hitter who has always worn strikeouts as part of the package, that’s an ugly stretch. The swing-and-miss has climbed to near-50% in recent days, and that kind of slide naturally changes the tone of any extension discussion.
The dilemma is pretty straightforward. If Murakami’s slump drags down his price, the White Sox could end up with a deal that looks like a bargain later.
But if they move too early and pay for the player he might become rather than the one he is right now, they’re taking on real risk. Murakami, for his part, may have little reason to accept a discount if he believes a turnaround is coming and his value will rebound.
An extension would almost certainly wait until the offseason, which means this story is likely to hang over White Sox fans all winter. For now, the question remains the same: how much belief do the White Sox have in Murakami long term, and is Murakami willing to sign before his stock climbs again?
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