Munetaka Murakami was meant to be the Pete Alonso replacement New York Mets fans would accept. Instead, on a much shorter and affordable contract, he’ll play for the Chicago White Sox and try to prove all of his doubters wrong. Has there been a free agent hyped as much as him only to see his contract dwindle from a rebel yell to a child’s whimper?
At two-years and $34 million, the White Sox got Murakami for $6 million less than the Mets did Jorge Polanco. The two are very different even if some qualities match. Murakami offers much less defensive versatility while the Mets may be thinking putting Polanco at first base can actually translate well after years of being a bad defensive player at other infield positions.