Then What?

Well, that was a surprise. The White Sox have signed 25-year old slugger Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34 million deal. Sox GM Chris Getz is hoping the swing that’s produced 265 homeruns along with 722 RBIs and a .273 BA over eight seasons will translate from Japan to the major leagues. We’ll see. The signing comes with some risks. The lefthanded-hitting Murakami does a mean Dave Nicholson/Adam Dunn imitation in his swings-and-misses, striking out as much as 184 times in a season. And he’s not exactly a Gold Glove at first or third base, his two principal positions. From what I can see, the idea is to put him at first base. OK, then what? Something, or somebody, has to give and make room for Murakami. My guess is Getz will make at least one and maybe two deals before Opening Day to resolve the glut of infield talent, up to and including a switch of Colson Montgomery to centerfield if Luis Robert Jr. gets moved. More likely, Lenyn Sosa will be playing somewhere else before long. Is signing Murakami a good idea? For now, let’s just say it isn’t a bad or dumb move. In baseball as in other areas of life, nothing ventured nothing gained. And the Sox are forcing Chicago media to cover a story totally unrelated to the Bears, which is always welcome.