[Vision2020] M's to sign gold-glover with big bat from Japanese League!

[Tim Lohrmann]

M's to sign Japanese catcher Johjima
Full story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002636677_mari21.html

By Bob Finnigan
Seattle Times staff reporter



Scoring the first big-name free-agent signing of the offseason, the Mariners will announce the signing of catcher Kenji Johjima, possibly as soon as today.

Sources say that Johjima has agreed to terms with Seattle. His name is much bigger in Japan, where he has averaged .305 with 30 homers the past five years and won seven straight Gold Gloves.

The Mariners increased their offer late last week from two years plus a club option for a third year to more than $5 million a year for three years, a deal that also includes incentives.

Also, Johjima and his family were said to take a liking to the Northwest in their visit last weekend.

Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi declined to comment on the imminent announcement of the signing.

Instead, Bavasi said, "if we are lucky enough to sign Johjima, he would fit in playing on an everyday basis."

Seattle scouts have given Johjima high marks as a two-way player.

"Our people tell us he has high potential as an offensive player and a solid defensive catcher," Bavasi said.

Bavasi dismissed what most U.S. baseball men have seen as the main problem -- the fact that Johjima doesn't speak English.

"If he's here, we wouldn't regard it any different than the situation with Latin guys," he said. "He'd have to pick up some English and even some Spanish. But we're talking about enough to get the next hitter out, not to split the atom."

With Johjima coming in as the front-line receiver, sources say Seattle is prepared to trade Yorvit Torrealba, the catcher who played most of the games in the second half of the 2005 season after coming here from San Francisco in a midseason trade.

Johjima's team in Japan, Fukuoka Soft-Bank Hawks, reportedly had offered him a one-year deal of $10 million to stay.

He will make his decision public on Tuesday in Japan. At Fukuoka's breakup meeting before the offseason, a tradition for Japanese teams, Johjima will tell Hawks' manager Sadahura Oh that he will play in this country.



		
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