SEATTLE -- Kenji Johjima and the Seattle Mariners agreed Friday to a three-year, $24 million contract extension through 2011.
The recently struggling catcher, who turns 32 in June, would have been eligible for free agency at the end of this season.
He signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract before the 2006 season, after 11 seasons and seven Gold Glove awards with Fukuoka in Japan's Pacific League. He has a $6.05 million base salary this season, including $850,000 in esclators he earned in previous seasons.
"Over two years ago we had no catching in this organization. We had seven guys catching here (in 2005)," Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said Friday, discussing the stability Johjima has provided at the position.
The new deal, which the team and agent Alan Nero had been quietly working on for two months, was somewhat of a surprise. Seattle has power-hitting Jeff Clement, its third overall draft choice in 2005 and the assumed replacement next season for Johjima, still waiting at Triple-A Tacoma for a full-time role in the major leagues.
Bavasi said Clement is likely to change positions now that Johjima will be around beyond 2008.
Johjima batted .291 and .287 in his first two seasons with the Mariners but was at .200 entering Friday night's game against Oakland. Seattle manager John McLaren said the uncertainty of where Johjima might play next season was affecting his catcher.
"Yeah, we hope this relaxes him," McLaren said. "I know it's been on his mind since spring training.
"Now it's behind him and he can go relax and play baseball."
Marinerz 
