White Sox reportedly have 'no urgency' with Munetaka Murakami extension

1 month ago 11

The Chicago White Sox signed Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34 million deal last offseason, and it's turned out to be quite the bargain.

He's been one of MLB's best power hitters, and while he's struggled in the second half, Murakami's overall season output has White Sox fans hoping to see a long-term deal done to keep him in Chicago for a while.

But, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the White Sox have "no urgency" to get a deal done with Murakami just yet.

White Sox have 'no urgency' to sign Munetaka Murakami extension yet

"The Chicago White Sox say there is no urgency in signing Munetaka Murakami to a contract extension considering his recent struggles," Nightengale writes. "He's hitting just .107 with 54 strikeouts in 103 at-bats in his last 29 games."

Murakami has been a fun player for the White Sox this season, hitting 32 home runs, scoring 77 runs, getting named to the All-Star team, knocking in 69 RBIs, and posting an OPS of .809 in his rookie season.

This year, he has 187 strikeouts, a .203 batting average, and just 1.8 bWAR in 120 games. Those numbers are worrying, thanks in large part to his recent production.

Since the start of August, Murakami has played in 46 games and has hit eight home runs. Not a bad total, but not nearly as good as what he was doing before his stint on the injured list earlier this year.

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What should really worry the White Sox and their fans is Murakami's 83 strikeouts in that 46-game span, along with his very poor .139 batting average and .607 OPS.

In September alone, Murakami in 18 games and 64 at-bats has a .125 batting average with a .540 OPS and three home runs.

He began the year strong, but lately has been a liability in the lineup. He still has great power and will be a key part of the team's success if they make the postseason, but a long-term extension seems unlikely at the moment.

The White Sox will wait to see more from Murakami before signing him to a long-term deal, as they have no plan to ink any long-term deal with the slugger anytime soon.