White Sox's $34 million signing of Munetaka Murakami frontrunner for best of offseason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago White Sox aren't top World Series contenders, and they aren't likely to make the postseason this year either.
However, they might come out of the season as big winners for one reason: Munetaka Murakami. He's been incredible to begin the year, as his $34 million two-year deal looks like a steal.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale believes that Murakami's signing was one of, if not the best, signings of the entire offseason. After his hot start this year, who's to blame Nightengale for such a take?
"It's only April, but the White Sox's signing of Munetaka Murakami to a cheap two-year, $34 million deal could be the greatest free-agent signing of the winter," Nightengale writes.
The 26-year-old slugger has played in 28 games so far this season and has 11 home runs, tied for the most in Major League Baseball.
Add in his 23 hits, 20 runs scored, 20 RBIs, 22 walks, and a .935 OPS, and his numbers this year are very encouraging.
He also has managed to put up no doubles or triples on the year, and has struck out 41 times, the most in the American League.
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It's a fascinating statistical profile, but for $34 million over two years, Murakami is looking like the steal of the offseason, and by far the best free agent signing as well.
While there might not be a lot of reasons to be excited about the White Sox in the middle of this rebuild, the signing of Murakami has been a massive boon for the franchise.
There were plenty of great additions made this offseason, but Murakami at the $34 million price tag over two years has a very strong case to be the best free agency move this past offseason across MLB.
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