Thanks to the Steelers beating the Lions, the Bears have CLINCHED a playoff spot for the first time in five years. I want that top seed, though … I’m greedy …
So, after all that silence, Munetaka Murakami winds up getting just two years and $34 million total from the Chicago White Sox. Oof. The writing was really on the wall about the size of the contract when the puff piece about Murakami maybe-being-the-next-Kyle-Schwarber came out. That was a tell that the previously-projected seven-year, $150 million type offers never materialized. A little preemptive spin about how a short-term deal would actually be better for Murakami, so that he can adjust and become a singular monster at the plate and sign a mega-deal before he turns 30. It’s nice in theory, and it very well could be what ends up happening – if he was absolutely committed to trying to be in MLB and maximize his long-term earnings, this was the right deal for him given everything. But the “given everything” part is what ACTUALLY drove this deal right now: teams clearly were far too concerned about the potential swing-and-miss to even offer a reasonable long-term deal right now. It became clear late in the cycle that no nine-figure offer was coming, so the pivot was to try to get the best short-term deal possible. And a two-year, $34 million deal with no opt out is, well, a pretty crappy short-term deal for Murakami (and a great low risk for the White Sox). It’s as close to a vote of total no confidence as an otherwise hyped mid-20s Japanese star was going to get. It’s also a reminder that, far more than with domestic free agents, it’s so difficult to project contract expectations for foreign stars ahead of time. Murakami was a NAME superstar for years, with his journey to the United States anticipated for a very long time. And he now gets a deal worth less than Jorge Polanco. That doesn’t mean Murakami might not wind up a great player in MLB, or that his free agency wasn’t worth following. But it does mean that sometimes we cannot tell just how compelling a foreign player is viewed by MLB teams until after we see the eventual contract. (Relatedly: ouch for the Yakult Swallows, who’ll add a meager $6-ish million posting fee for allowing their superstar to leave.) Next up: Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto, whose postings conclude just after the flip of the calendar. Will they also come in well short of expectations? The extreme lack of rumors on the latter makes you wonder; the potential upside in Imai, together with his youth, makes you think he’ll be fine. Then again, there are some questions about whether his pitch shapes will actually translate to MLB, so I guess you never know. It was this time two years ago that the price tag expectations on Shota Imanaga were still well into the nine-figure range. Meanwhile, the Red Sox got their big bat, acquiring old friend Willson Contreras from the Cardinals. It’s the second big trade of the offseason for the two clubs (Sonny Gray), though the return doesn’t look as strong this time around. Still, I’m annoyed that the Red Sox have almost singlehandedly bailed out the Cardinals from being stuck having to keep a couple guys who had no-trade clauses and might not have otherwise wanted to be dealt. Thanks a lot, Craig Breslow. There is no indication that the Red Sox are definitely out on any other rumored bats after the Contreras deal, so stay tuned on, for example, Alex Bregman and Ketel Marte (it would seem the latter is easier to fit financially, but it’s not quite been clear to what extent the Red Sox can and will increase payroll from last year). While we’re on the old friend theme, Alexander Canario is headed to Japan:OF Alexander Canario?? has indeed signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions.The Rakuten Eagles, Yokohama DeNA BayStars & Chunichi Dragons were the others who showed interest on the 25 year-old.Tokyo Yakult, who many were pointing as a possible destination, never made an approach. pic.twitter.com/CIVRdDrvIP
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Caleb Williams and Cole Bennett teamed up for the first annual Holiday Handoff, helping distribute meals to more than 3,000 families across the city of Chicago. (?: @ChicagoBears, @_ColeBennett_, @LyricaLemonade) pic.twitter.com/eZ39pl28XS
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