If the Padres wish to spend some money this winter, left-handed-hitting Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami is an interesting option. 

There is no doubt that the San Diego Padres lacked offensive firepower in the 2025 season.

The team sacrificed swing and miss with power potential to put the ball in play more. The end result was a unique style of play that saw the team bunt more than the average team. However, that style only works if you hit with runners in scoring position and utilize situational hitting. The Padres got men on and moved them over, but more often than not, the next hitters failed to do their job.

With all that being said, the Padres will likely look to add more power to their lineup.

Munetaka Murakami is a Japanese star who may be posted at the age of 25 this winter. According to Mark Feinsand, Murakami and the Yakult Swallows will part ways this winter.

The Japanese slugger won the Triple Crown in 2022 as he slugged 56 homers, drove in 134 runs, and hit .318, posting a 1.169 OPS in 141 games. He was the youngest player (22) to do so in the history of Japanese baseball. He owns 265 career homers in Japan in eight seasons, while recording a .949 OPS in over 3,500 at-bats.

Murakami will be 26 during the 2026 season and is considered a young player with unknown upside.

The Padres will be interested, but Murkamai will not be an inexpensive commitment. Even though there is some risk to signing him, most feel he should adjust to major league pitching fairly well. Murakami will likely not hit for a high average in the majors, but his power will still play. Defensively, he has spent most of his time at third base, but has played over 265 games at first base, where he is a much better defender. His future in the majors seems to be at first base, but it is nice that he could handle the hot corner on occasion.

Murakami will strike out a ton, and his walk rate is trending in the wrong direction, so it is not a slam dunk that he gets top dollar on the open market. He missed some time in 2025 with an elbow and an oblique injury that flared up on him a few times during the season. Before that, the 6-foot-2, right-handed thrower played in 14o games in five of the previous six seasons. He is durable. Murakami plays every day.

Perhaps the Padres can utilize Yu Darvish and or Yuki Matsui in a recruiting role to help sway the infielder. San Diego is built to win now, and the fan base is special. Murakami would be embraced immediately, and he would help balance the lineup. There is a history of Japanese players in San Diego, and Murakami could be the next one.

In the end, the Padres would need to expand their payroll. They are projected to have about $12-15 million to spend this winter if they want to keep the payroll around the same as 2025. There are many determining factors for what the payroll will look like. Several players have both team and player options, and the remaining balance should become clearer in the next few weeks as free agency is set to start.

Murakami is said to be looking for a deal totaling $200 million. If that is the case, the Padres simply cannot get involved. They have too much money committed to several players to hand out another deal like that, especially to a player with unknown major league value. Never count out A.J. Preller, though. He may try to get creative in shedding salary to make a run at the Japanese star. Anything is possible.

If the Padres can swing it, a Munetaka Murakami signing could be very fruitful for San Diego. But only at the right cost.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.