Munetaka Murakami signing shuts down obvious NY Mets-White Sox trade to make

Munetaka Murakami’s free agency ended with less than 48 hours to go on his posting window. He’ll join the Chicago White Sox next season on a 2-year deal worth $34 million. Far below what was originally expected for the star slugger, the deal effectively seems to put an end to what could have been an obvious match between the New York Mets and White Sox for a trade.

Luis Robert Jr. continues to loiter on the White Sox roster with heavy interest, but a $20 million contract they want no part of paying. Robert’s upside with his bat and if nothing else brilliant defense and speed makes him a good match for many teams. Frequent Mets rumors about their interest in him have headlined a good chunk of the last several months dating back to the trade deadline.

A perfect trade for Robert exists, but this signing seems to negate one of the players who seemed perfect for them to acquire. Where is Mark Vientos going now?

Mark Vientos is no longer as useful in a potential Mets trade for Luis Robert Jr.

Vientos seemed like an ideal candidate to put in a trade package for Robert. Completely different styles of player, Vientos is an affordable 1B/DH whose days at 3B should be over with. The White Sox had plenty of space to experiment with him in that role. Maybe not quite as much with Murakami locked in.

This doesn’t mean the Mets won’t trade for Robert although the lengthy trade talks seem to suggest someone is unwilling to budge. Add in that the Mets may be close to their payroll limits, Robert just doesn’t seem like the wisest addition to make at any kind of reasonable cost. For all we know the Mets will have Carson Benge ready to patrol center field quickly in 2026. Nick Morabito, Jett Williams, and maybe even a few others could be candidates as well.

Murakami’s significantly smaller and shorter contract was a bit of a stunner for the MLB landscape which had him once expected to get the kind of contract Pete Alonso once desired. Still only 25, Murakami took a shorter deal to try and prove himself. One would imagine there wasn’t much demand for a guy whose reputation has been that he can’t hit fastballs in the mid-90s or higher.

Trade possibilities with the White Sox involving Robert exist, however, this seems to suggest they would probably prefer a different player than Vientos as the return. The Murakami signing doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of trading Robert although a few more financial investments could make them a team poised to sneak away with a wild card spot. More realistically, the White Sox could be holding out for a king’s ransom at the trade deadline when the urgency to sell prospects is greater.

According to Bob Nightengale, the Mets and White Sox are still in talks about a trade involving Robert. Let's see if this actually comes to fruition.