White Sox Can't Trade Munetaka Murakami at the Deadline - Here's Why
On Monday night, Japanese rookie Munetaka Murakami smashed his 14th home run of the season, tying him with back-to-back American League leader Aaron Judge for the top in all of the majors.
Murakami is not a perfect player. It took him until Monday to also hit his first double since coming over from the NPB in the offseason, and strikeouts have been an issue, as was believed they would be through the first month of the campaign.
He’s on a two-year, $34 million contract with the Chicago White Sox, who have been the laughingstock of MLB for the past few years, as each season seems to be over for them by the time June rolls around.
This season, though, behind Murakami and other contributors, they’re in the thick of things in the wide-open AL Central. With the news that Tarik Skubal might miss a majority of the regular season for the Detroit Tigers, it even opens the door more for a possible Cinderella run for the White Sox.
At the deadline, Chicago is going to receive offers for Murakami from teams better suited to offer him the nine-digit contract that he is playing himself into through his inaugural season.
Even though the chances that the White Sox can win a bidding war for Murakami in two years or that they can keep up in a playoff race are minimal, they shouldn’t trade him.
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With baseball, it’s all about optimism. Hope. Every day, tuning in to a game, win or lose, to see something special. For almost two decades, White Sox fans haven’t had much to cheer about, aside from a few magical years that turned out to be nothing more than mirages.
We don’t know if Murakami is a mirage, but he’s bringing passion to the South Side of Chicago. Fans are beginning to show up. That silly thing called hope is starting to build, which is something no package of prospects can bring.
If we get to this point next season, with Murakami still hitting and on the verge of free agency, then that might be the time to deal him. If you believe he’s a special talent, he will still bring a haul regardless of whether it’s 2026 or 2027, especially given how weak the position market is for the next two offseasons.
For 2026, don’t think about the future for once. Live in the moment with Murakami and see where it ends up.
There will always be another opportunity to flip a promising player for a bundle of prospects. There haven’t been many stories like Murakami, and that’s why the White Sox need to let the movie play out for at least this season.
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 9:06 PM.